Las Vegas
After the opening farce: Formula 1 is threatened with legal repercussions
The opening training session in Las Vegas was canceled after a few minutes. photo
© Darron Cummings/AP/dpa
The Formula 1 fans wanted action in Las Vegas. The opening training session was stopped after just a few minutes. According to a media report, a class action lawsuit has been filed.
After the farce at the opening training in Formula 1 is threatened with legal trouble in Las Vegas. As ESPN reported, the Dimopoulos law firm, along with JK Legal & Consulting, said it has filed a class action lawsuit against the Grand Prix organizer in Nevada federal court.
The two law firms filed this lawsuit on behalf of 35,000 fans who had bought tickets for the opening day. The first training session was canceled after just 19 minutes due to a defective cover for a water shaft on the asphalt. All covers of the water shafts along the entire route then had to be removed and filled with sand and asphalt. It was only two and a half hours late that the pilots were able to take part in the second session after inspections and repairs on the asphalt.
Goods vouchers enough as compensation?
“The entire process, from identifying the problem to fixing it, took approximately five hours,” said a statement from Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and race organizer Renee Wilm. The fan zones had long since been cleared by the organizer by the start of the second session. The organizer justified this measure essentially with the occupational safety of the employees.
The organizer then offered all those fans who had a ticket only for the opening day vouchers worth 200 dollars (a good 180 euros). However, this form of compensation did not apply to those who had purchased tickets for all three days of racing. A day ticket cost several hundred dollars.
Demand: $30,000 in damages per viewer
“We will defend the rights of fans who have traveled great distances and paid small fortunes but have been deprived of the experience,” Steve Dimopoulos from the law firm of the same name was quoted as saying. This demands an average of around $30,000 in damages per viewer.
According to ESPN, Formula 1 rights holder and Grand Prix organizer Liberty Media are named in the class action lawsuit. “We cannot comment on litigation. Our focus is on providing our fans with an entertaining experience in a safe environment, which is always our top priority,” a Grand Prix spokesman was quoted as saying.
Formula 1 provides an attempt at an explanation
In a statement, Formula 1 asked for the understanding of the angry fans for their actions. “Many interests had to be weighed up,” “including the safety of all participants and the fans’ experience throughout the entire race weekend.”
The organizers and the motorsport premier class concluded their statement by saying that everyone had been to events such as concerts or other Formula 1 races “that were canceled due to factors such as weather or technical problems. It happens, and we hope that people will understand that.”