F1 disguises Las Vegas snags with sensory overload and raw entertainment | Giles Richards

The morning after the night before in Las Vegas could so easily have been one of guilt and remorse for Formula 1. Instead, as the circuit was dismantled and the Strip returned to what passes for normality in Sin City on Sunday, F1 could contemplate being one of the lucky few to leave this weekend. At least in terms of perceived success, if not cold, hard money.

The race itself was a cracker, a contender for the best of the season. Any fears that the circuit would become a street parade again proved unfounded. Instead, there was real racing and passing, with the drivers admitting that their expectations were not true. The upside-down pig that the track resembles – turns 14, 15 and 16, where many passes were made, would be where a curled tail would stick out – had proven capable of delivering a real silk bag.

Still, it had been a difficult journey to the flag. Thursday night’s debacle, which saw the first training session abandoned after a drain cover hit Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari, and then fans banned from the second session, was a terrible start. As does the rather insulting offer of $200 (£160) to spend at the Las Vegas GP store as compensation, considering the cost of tickets. A lawsuit has since been filed seeking damages for the 35,000 spectators who felt there was little response.

Local discontent also continued throughout the weekend. Small businesses and workers were extinguished by the city’s disruption. Some cited a commute of more than two hours, while others complained that track restrictions had diverted customers from their businesses.

Then there were the session times: qualifying at midnight and the race at 10pm. They were decided in compromise with the city to minimize disruption when the roads were closed, but were brutal to the teams. In the paddock, the blue-eyed staff spoke volumes and concerns were voiced by a range of team principals and drivers.

All this can be addressed before next year and can be improved. In the meantime, the city will assess whether the deal has worked for both it and F1. Revenue increases of between $1 billion and $1.7 billion are forecast, and if the race hits these numbers, Vegas and the sport will likely continue for at least the decade of their current deal.

There can also be some pride in the fact that we have achieved all this in a relatively short time since the race concluded in March 2022. The logistics were enormous and a lot of effort and money was spent to make it work. Illustrated on a practical level, while walking from one section of track to another, the number of workers directing traffic and arranging people was staggering. Barely 15 yards would pass without a (usually) friendly face waving a glow stick at or back from the punters.

There were also a lot of staff in the fan areas – not four grumpy teenagers wearing hi-vis and moodily sucking Gauloises, as at some European races, but hundreds of staff holding up signs that lit up saying: ‘Can I help ? ?”

In addition to the flashy and clichéd features that are so characteristic of the city – a wedding chapel in the paddock and endless Elvis impersonators – there were also small details. The teams’ hospitality units featured their logos in beautiful retro-Vegas-style neon signs.

None of this was cheap, of course, and Formula 1 is expected to be out of the market by as much as $700 million afterwards. Yet that is a one-off and included investment in resurfacing the track and buying the land on which a pit and paddock complex will be built that will now be repurposed as F1’s US headquarters for the rest of the year and with a further feature yet to be announced. later this week.

That partly explains the other major point of contention, that of ticket prices. The average price for a three-day ticket was $1,667. Perhaps a factor that prevents the sold-out edition of 105,000 from being reached. This too could be addressed with a stand at a more reasonable price, without any frills.

Imagine the equivalent of the great Rivazza corner in Imola, a heaving pyramid of fans in the heart of Vegas. Sadly, that’s probably a pipe dream, but the problematic prices were demonstrated by the number of people desperately trying to watch from behind the barriers erected to prevent illegal viewing.

Some ingenious souls discovered that there were outdoor escalators that they could ride up and down that offered views of the track. With an entrepreneurial spirit, a “Beer here!” The man arrived at the base shortly afterwards and did a great job before being moved on.

Before the race, world champion Max Verstappen had contemptuously described it as “99% show, 1% sporting event”. Although it was indeed an extravaganza the entire week, which will not be to the taste of many, the meeting ultimately also yielded a lot on a sporting level. There is plenty to improve on, but Formula 1 needs to have room for at least one meeting full of absurd, over-the-top entertainment and Las Vegas made a case for it to happen here.