THREE-time Formula One World Champion, Max Verstappen, has publicly blasted the inaugural Las Vegas ahead of the much-anticipated race last Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
F1\u2019s newest venue on the calendar had received plenty of criticism before cars hit the famous strip, with eye-watering ticket prices alienating the majority of fans from attending the event.<\/p>\n
The first weekend of the Las Vegas Grand Prix started off in disaster with the first practice session cancelled after nine minutes after Ferrari\u2019s Carlos Sainz hit a loose drain cover.<\/p>\n
After the entire track had to be inspected, fans were eventually kicked out of the venue as the drivers didn\u2019t get back into their cars until around 2.30 am local time.<\/p>\n
Fans who paid close to $700 USD for a single-day ticket were left with just nine minutes of action but were offered a $200 F1 Store gift voucher in compensation.<\/p>\n
With an underwhelming track and the majority of the attention being put to external events for the weekend, Verstappen didn\u2019t hold back with his brutally honest assessment of the Vegas spectacle.<\/p>\n
“Of course, I understand the fans, they need something to do as well around a track,” Verstappen said.<\/p>\n
“But I think it is more important you actually make them understand what we do as a sport.<\/p>\n
“Most of them just come to have a party, drink, see a DJ play or watch a performance act, I can do that all over the world, go to Ibiza and get really s**t faced but that’s what happens.”<\/p>\n
“They don’t actually understand what we are doing or what we are putting on the line.<\/p>\n
“For me when I was a little kid it was about the emotion of the sport, it’s what I fell in love with and not the show, as a real racer the show shouldn’t really matter.<\/p>\n
“When you go to Spa [Francorchamps], these kinds of places, they have a lot of emotion and passion and for me seeing the fans there is incredible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I jump in the car there I am fired up and I enjoy driving around these kinds of places.<\/p>\n
“I love Vegas, I love to go out have a few drinks throw everything on red, have some nice food but the emotion, passion it’s not there like some old school tracks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I were a fan, I would tear the whole place down.\u201d<\/p>\n