Formula 1 @lemmy.world wes @lemmy.world 7 mo. ago

2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix - [POST RACE] discussion thread

ROUND 22: United States 🇺🇸

FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2023

Circuit stats

First Grand Prix: 2023
Number of laps: 50
Circuit Length: 6.201 km
Race Distance: 310.05 km
Lap record: N/A
**2022 winner:**N/A

Track Map

46 comments

Are you telling me that they drove them out there for the interviews and now they're driving them back for the podium?
- Yes, that's the plan. Someone sat down and thought that was a good idea, and absolutely no money changed hands to have a giant advert for the hotel with the fountains...
  
  Joke's on them, because I already forgot its name. Not that I would ever have wanted to travel to Las Vegas, but still.
  
  If anything, this whole weekend just confirmed I will never go to Vegas ever. This city is really a boomers definition of a good time. It's all ersatz luxury. The golden sharpie of cities.
- Got to give the hotels that publicity.
  
  That would have been a cool place for a podium too.
  
  The watery stuff during the podium ceremony would have been cool indeed. The way they tried to show it detached from everything was dumb though. Props to DC for making it look like he did actually care.
- Yep. American car culture at its best
I don’t understand why everyone is saying the racing was great here. All overtakes were either slipstreaming behind another car or under breaking at the end of a straight. Sure it makes for a lot of overtakes, but not really that exciting after having seen the same move done a couple of times.

Also, why was the cool-down room a Rolls Royce and not an American car like a Cadillac? Seems like a missed opportunity to promote more Americana.
- Because races are more than just the strategy or technical skill of racing. Half the entertainment in most sports are the storylines and this race was full of stories. When Max got a 5 second penalty it opened up the storyline of Leclerc possibly ending his unfortunate streak of starting on pole and not winning. Then there was Perez having a really unlucky turn 1 that he turned around and was even P1 for a stint, only to be robbed of P2 by Leclerc on the last lap. Then there was Sainz first being screwed over by the FIA but then also having a poor turn 1 only to turn it all around and finish in points. Oh and of course Max actually having to race for the win. And those are just some stories off the top of my head. So much more happened in the race that was beyond just strategy or skill.
  
  If you watch F1 just for the actual racing then I agree it wasn't all that great, but I think if you're watching it just for that reason then you're missing a lot of what makes F1 entertaining.
- Most of the chaos was because the track was slippery as fuck. All those spins at the start were crazy.
- The circuit created chaos, which required skill to manage on and off track since you need to be ready to adapt. So it was exciting to watch.
  
  I think I like this track more for racing than for qualifying though. A little bit like Baku, but with uglier scenery.
  
  I think Baku is more exciting as there are lots of narrow spots on the track where it requires a lot of skill to thread the needle. Here it is 3 or 4 wide most of the track.
- Rolls Royce probably considered to be more of a luxury vehicle as it's foreign and known for the build quality and finish
  
  Agreed the racing was poor, just slipstream and DRS, which I noticed Karun called "drafting" today...
  
  @Photographer @formula1 I enjoyed the racing, and it seems the drivers did too. Everyone wants to shit on this race and I’m fucking tired of hearing the negativity. It was a great race, lots of action, super high speeds, what’s not to love?
  
  Or maybe another sign of non-support for GM getting a team in F1 🤣
- The race was exciting because of passes and re passes. Otherwise most of the overtakes were slipstreaming/drs overtakes.
  
  Fingers crossed there is no sprint next season for this one. Sprint will just spoil the results like everywhere else.
This long wait for the interviews is just amazing, what a great plan
- I find it weird there’s only one mic
  
  Budget couldn't stretch to two, sorry
- Cooldown car instead of cooldown room. Interesting choice for the podcast location.
  
  To be fair, we heard a lot more of their conversation this time than usual. Pretty neat
- Yeah that was a bit weird. Hopefully they don't do that going forward. But knowing Vegas, they'll probably helicopter them to the top of [insert casino here] to do the interviews next year. Then have them squirrel suit down to the paddock for the trophy ceremony.
Is there no trophy ceremony? So weird.

Edit: This is so weird. Long ass gap between end of race and interviews because they had to be done in front of the Bellagio. Race results shown before the trophy ceremony because of another long gap.
- They have to take a car back to the podium
I had no faith that this venue was going to be good. And I was wrong. What a great race.
- Race was great. Track is great. Show is the typical US nonsense on another level. Some like it, some hate it. I don't doubt it's good for $$$ but for the locals it's a disaster. Unless you're running a hotel on the Strip of course.
  
  The race was nice but everything else was so over the top. What was with the interviews and trophy presentation?!
  
  Yea. There’s still a lot about the event that is pretty shitty, but the racing is not one of those things.
Well that turned out to be a really good race, thoroughly enjoyed that one, which was unexpected 👏🏻
Lol Max still being salty af about the 5s penalty 😂
- At least he said he had no grip, and he wasn't just claiming what he did was fine
  
  Then he should have given the place back..
More proof (as if it was needed) that F1 fans are a terrible judge of track.

Although a lot of the people here seem to be dead set on holding their beliefs.
I love how they don't give a shit about the watery non-event.
If you ever wanted to see the back of the neck of the drivers during a podium, this is your chance
No screen at the back looks weird with all those randoms behind them.

Edit: ok, didn't realise they were on those construction thingies. I guess it's nice more people get to look at the podium like that at the event. Smart change.
Look at the water, boys. Look at the water…

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