Some 35,000 spectators took collective legal action against the organizers of the Las Vegas F1 GP after the hiccup on Thursday during the first tests, which were seriously disrupted by a manhole cover problem, AFP learned on Sunday from the organizers, confirming press information.
Spectators had to leave the stands following the interruption of the first free practice session on Thursday evening (Friday morning, in Paris), after less than ten minutes of driving. The tests were then able to resume but with a considerable delay, and without an audience.
Five people have been named as plaintiffs in this class action which seeks to obtain more than $15,000 in damages, writes the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a media outlet in the state of Nevada. “We will defend the rights of fans who traveled great distances and paid small fortunes to attend the race, but were deprived of that experience,” attorney Steve Dimopoulos, counsel for those spectators, said in a statement. relayed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. An F1 spokesperson, contacted by AFP, confirmed this collective action, without making further comments.
Second session 2h30 late and without spectators
The first free practice session was interrupted after the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), driving at full speed, hit the cover of a manhole, heavily damaging his car in the process. First neutralized, the session initially scheduled to last one hour was definitively interrupted, and did not allow the drivers to do more than five laps.
All the manhole covers on the urban circuit had to be checked and secured to avoid any further incidents, a decision by the officials which therefore delayed the rest of the day. Free practice 2, the second and final session initially scheduled for midnight local time (9:00 a.m. Paris time, 8:00 a.m. GMT), began 2.5 hours late.
Good buy
In the meantime, spectators had to evacuate the circuit due to a lack of staff – particularly those related to security and transport, beyond a certain hour. “Our priority is to ensure that our fans have an entertaining experience in a safe and secure environment,” said a GP spokesperson.
As a consolation prize, ticket holders for Thursday alone received a $200 voucher to spend in the official Grand Prix stores, F1 announced Friday evening. The three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen had also declared to the Dutch media that if he had been one of them, he would have “demolished everything”.
Friday and Saturday went off without a hitch and the Grand Prix ended with an 18th victory of the season for Verstappen, assured of winning the title since the beginning of October.