{"id":27047,"date":"2023-11-22T03:31:06","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T03:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/las-vegas-gp-is-99-percent-show-verstappen-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-22T03:31:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T03:31:06","slug":"las-vegas-gp-is-99-percent-show-verstappen-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/las-vegas-gp-is-99-percent-show-verstappen-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Las Vegas GP is ’99 percent show’: Verstappen | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nLAS VEGAS:
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Formula One world champion Max Verstappen<\/a> has blasted this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix as “99 percent show” and says he isn’t looking forward to the race.<\/p>\n

The Red Bull three-time world champion criticised the new street course and said Wednesday he had no interest in the razzmatazz around the event.<\/p>\n

“It’s 99 precent show and one percent sporting event,” said the Dutchman, when asked to evaluate the return of the sport to Vegas after a 41-year absence.<\/p>\n

“Not a lot of emotions to be honest. I mean I don’t like… I just want to always focus on the performance side of things, I don’t like all the things around it anyway,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I know of course there are some places that you know (it is) part of it, but let’s say it’s not my interest,” he added.<\/p>\n

Asked for his opinion on the street track, which will take the drivers down the famous Vegas ‘strip’, Verstappen was blunt.<\/p>\n

“Yeah, not very interesting…it’s just not many corners to be honest,” he said.<\/p>\n

After taking part in the opening ceremony, which featured a drone show and music, the 26-year-old said he wouldn’t be attending Wednesday night’s party.<\/p>\n

When he was asked if he would at least be looking forward to Sunday’s race, Verstappen’s lack of enthusiasm was again evident.<\/p>\n

“No. No, but I’m looking forward to trying to do the best I can, but I’m not looking forward to this,” he said, pointing to the hospitality areas above the paddock.<\/p>\n

Verstappen said he hadn’t talked to the F1 organisers about his views but said he doubted his views would have an impact on them.<\/p>\n

“I don’t know. I guess they still make money if I like it or not, so it’s not up to me. But I’m also not going to fake it,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I just always voice my opinion in positive things and negative things, and that’s just how I am. Some people like a show a bit more, I don’t like it at all,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I grew up just looking at the performance side of things, and that’s how I see it as well. So for me, I like to be in Vegas, but not so much for racing,” he added.<\/p>\n

But Verstappen said that he did understand that F1’s owners Liberty Media, who are also promoters of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, had their own commercial interests.<\/p>\n

“I fully understand and you know, you can look at it two ways – business side or sports side. So, I, of course, understand their side of it as well,” he said.<\/p>\n

“But I’m just voicing my opinion on the performance side of things,” he said.<\/p>\n

Many of the team and F1 sponsors have put on events around the Vegas GP this week, making for a busy schedule for the drivers and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz said it was time to consider scaling back media and commercial commitments in general.<\/p>\n

“Looking into the future, we’re going to need to reconsider a bit the way we go racing at the weekends, because our schedules are getting busier and busier every year that goes by,” said the Spaniard.<\/p>\n

“We are adding races to the calendar and it’s getting to a point where I think sometimes everything feels a bit repetitive and everything feels a bit over-packed and we’re trying maybe to overdo it a bit,” he said.<\/p>\n

McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris<\/a> struck a similar tone to Verstappen and said he didn’t like the glitzy opening ceremony.<\/p>\n

“I’ve never been the biggest fan of doing these types of things like we did earlier. It’s not what I enjoy doing, I know a lot of this stuff is just part of it and I’m not saying anything against it.<\/p>\n

“I do this job because I want to come and drive and race cars and I’ve never been the biggest fan of doing these types of big events and shows and things like that.<\/p>\n

“I guess it’s part of the job and it’s a business and….that’s how it has to run in the end of the day,” he said.<\/p>\n

But veteran Spaniard Fernando Alonso<\/a> of Aston Martin, a two-time world champion, said an exception should be made for Vegas.<\/p>\n

“I have to say that I think places like this one, with the investment that has been done and the place that we are racing, I think it deserves a little bit different treatment and a little bit extra show (like) we did today,” said the 42-year-old.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n