LAS VEGAS – Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix was a huge success, but the toll of the late-night event on drivers and teams will be a big focus point until it returns in 2024.
Qualifying (12-1 a.m.) and the race (10 p.m. local) were held on the same day in Vegas, the first event of a 10-year partnership between the city and F1.
For teams arriving from Europe it was effectively a double timezone shift — the eight or nine hours removed for Vegas and then what was a race schedule, which also included a full media day and three practice sessions, more in line with a Japanese Grand Prix.
“Everybody is leaving Vegas slightly f—–!” Red Bull’s Christian Horner said on Sunday morning in the hours after Max Verstappen had won.
“One way or another it has been a brutal weekend for everyone behind the scenes, and I think we need to look at how we can improve that for the future.”
The late starts and the timezone change were a talking point during the week – on media day earlier in the week, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen said he had been awake for 24 hours in attempt to fall asleep fully.
During the usual drivers’ briefing, Sergio Perez shared a video to his Instagram of Lewis Hamilton sleeping in his chair.
AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo, joked after the delayed second practice session, held at 2.30 a.m. on Friday, that he was “delirious” with tiredness.
F1 heads immediately to the Middle East for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be the fifth race in six weeks. Next year, Vegas is followed by Qatar and then Abu Dhabi in a triple header.
Ricciardo, who had thought there was a weekend off after Vegas 2024, said timings would have to change to make it work.
“No way. Alright. That does not have my vote!” Ricciardo said after being told of the triple header.
“And now knowing that, they need to bring [the times] forward, because we’ll be wrecked, especially at the end of the season. I’ve done six races and even I feel it. Hopefully they can make something work there.”
F1 held the race late in part to minimise disruption to locals, who have been vocal in opposition to the work which has been required to build the circuit in the middle of the city.
Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur said there is no time that is going to satisfy everyone.
“If we have to improve, it’s perhaps the timing,” Vasseur said. “It’s not an easy one to find, if you want to have a decent timing for Asia, Europe, East Coast, West Coast.
“In the past, we had no issue because F1 was just for the European people, and we had to stick to the European timing, and it was okay.
“Now it’s a worldwide project, and it’s much more difficult to find something fitting with the expectations of the 24-hour zone. But we will adjust it.”