Formula One officials believe Las Vegas’ second race this year will make fewer headlines for being disruptive to the city’s residents.
Greg Maffei, CEO of F1 owners Liberty Media, apologised to Las Vegas residents ahead of last year’s debut race after a long period of preparations to the circuit, which runs down the city’s iconic boulevard.
F1’s unprecedented deal with Vegas has seen it take on the role of race promoter, which is unlike any other event on the calendar. F1 has invested over $500 million on the race, which includes a permanent paddock and pit complex.
Barring a slight hiccup during first practice when a drain cover came loose and prevented a day’s worth of track action, the first event was considered a huge success and produced one of the most entertaining races of the year.
Asked during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend what he expects from the second Vegas event on Nov. 24, Maffei said: “Well I hope we get a race nearly as good, or even better. I hope we have no track failures early, that would be nice, there was a heartache or two early!
“I think we’ll be smarter, we’ll be more efficient, we’ll probably be less disruptive to the community, we’ll probably understand better and better what fans want.”
Preparations for the first race spanned nearly nine months, with roads being repaved, grandstands being put up and the F1 facility for the pits being constructed for much of the year.
With that work being completed last year, Las Vegas is anticipating a much smoother build-up for its residents.
Brian Yost, head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said: “Tearing up the strip for a year and having to lay down and create the actual track was a monumental task that F1 pulled off.
“That’s where the stresses and angst came from in the local community. That doesn’t have to be done every year. Now in these subsequent races we have a much smoother ramp up to the race itself. I think things dissipate at this point.”
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