The inaugural running of the Las Vegas Grand Prix has divided the Formula One world with an entertaining feature race plagued by off-track events and horrid fan experiences.
Fans were left with empty pockets on the first day of action after Carlos Sainz hit a loose drain cover, causing mass delays and cancellations of the first two practice sessions.
The race organisers were able to prevent any further on-track incidents from occurring but continued to receive criticism over the off-track events that occurred throughout the weekend.
Reigning F1 World Champion Max Verstappen didn’t hold back with his assessment of the Grand Prix, claiming he had no “passion” or “emotion” when going around the renowned Vegas strip.
With mixed reviews coming in from across the world, SEN’s Matt White revealed why he saw the on-track events as a success for F1.
“The biggest debacle was when they held practice (after Sainz’s incident) at 2 am and kicked the crowds out at 1:30,” White said on SEN 1170 Mornings.
“In the end the racing was superb… there’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes trying to figure out whether or not this was a raging success, a roaring success.
“I reckon the race was, everything else that went around it? I’m not sure about that.
“The sphere played a massive part in it (and) under lights it looked spectacular.”
The timing of the sessions throughout the weekend confused many, with the race starting at 10 pm local time – 6 am in the U.K.
Boasting arguably F1’s two biggest markets, fans in the USA and U.K were either forced to stay up beyond midnight or wake up before the sun had risen.
“Having a race and all those practices (sessions) either so late at night or in the practice case, early in the morning, is that really going to give you penetration into the US market?” White added.
“Well, they’ve had their shot and I think it was a pretty good one overall.”
The race was eventually won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who completed an impressive 1-2 finish with teammate Sergio Perez.