2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix Paddock Diary part two

The Las Vegas Grand Prix got off to a faltering start but on race day both the contest on track and spectacle off it delivered.

Friday

Barely feeling like I had slept after finishing work as the sun was coming up on Friday morning, and full of a cold, I knew the coming evening and night would be tough.

Grabbing some lunch with a few friends before heading to the track, I still couldn’t get my head around why this event was so much more draining than Singapore’s, despite their similar schedules. Granted, we stay on European time there, but I was really struggling with no daylight or fresh air. To get to any hotel or restaurant you must pass through dingy casinos which blast out air conditioning and music 24-seven. I didn’t expect anything different from Vegas, but it was still a lot to take in.

The city felt busier than it had all weekend as the sun started to set and I headed to the track. There were a lot more people wearing F1 merchandise as I walked along the strip from my hotel next to the Venetian.

After Thursday’s drama, I hoped Friday would be more straightforward as I made the long walk to the media centre for practice. Everyone was still exhausted from the night before.

The media centre was so far from the paddock I made my way down to the pen to interview the first drivers eliminated from Q1 as the session began. There were a few surprises.

Both McLarens unable to reach Q2. The next shock was Lewis Hamilton, who hadn’t been too far off the pace all weekend, did not progress to the final part of qualifying. Red Bull weren’t didn’t look on top form and Sergio Perez again failed to reach Q3. Ferrari looked rapid.

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Cold, wrapped in jackets and scarves, most drivers passed by fairly nonplussed by the session. Logan Sargeant was beaming, however. The American had qualified seventh on track and was clearly thrilled with his performance. It was the first time in a while I saw his jaw unclench while talking and he seemed ecstatic to have done it in front of a home crowd.

The final drivers came through quite quickly, suggesting many drivers were too exhausted and done with the day to talk for long, I dashed into the press conference to see a furious Carlos Sainz Jnr on the sofa, resting a microphone on his lap. He had qualified second, but due to his 10-place grid penalty arising from the repairs done to his car after a drain covering smashed his chassis during practice, he would be mired in the midfield instead of starting on the front row. Unfair, I thought, but I understood granting him an exemption could open up a troublesome loophole in the regulations.

Saturday

I was woken up at half past 10, just over five hours after turning in, and unable to drift off again I opted for a walk around the city. Even at that time lights were flashing up and down the strip and showgirls were trying to entice tourists to come into their venues. The air was thick with the stench of weed and many looked as though they had yet to make it back to their hotel rooms.

As I walked around a corner I was startled to see Minnie Mouse’s head resting on the floor. To the right stood a man in his sixties wearing the rest of her bright pink dress, taking a long drag on a cigarette.

Race day was always going to be mad, and it did not disappoint. Walking into the wide paddock, it suddenly felt like the event F1 was attempting to put on. Celebrities were already strutting around the paddock looking important and there was a buzz in the air.

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By the entrance at the other end of the paddock, F1 had set up a red carpet-style event for A-listers to walk down and speak to media like Entertainment Tonight. I have to admit I barely knew anyone, but it was an excellent attempt at stardom from F1.

I headed to the grid early, where the surroundings looked a little like a scaled-up Formula E event. Big metal catch-fences separated us from the fans. I stopped to speak to some of the mechanics before the inevitable rush as VIPs and celebrities entered the grid.

You can always tell when an A-lister is on the grid thanks to a circle of photographers and fans desperate for pictures. Paris Hilton swept past me, almost gliding as snappers fell at her feet. I was surprised at how close some people got to the cars. People were casually walking close past the vastly expensive machinery, dresses brushing against front wings.

While Donny Osmond belted out The Star-Spangled Banner I took a moment to look at the fans. There were smiles all around, and it truly felt like a special moment. More so when I spun around and noticed I had been standing next to Usain Bolt the entire time.

As Viva Las Vegas by Elvis began playing, I made my way off the grid and down to the pen to watch the start of the race. Once again, too far to head back to the media centre, I camped up next to the camera people ready to see what entertainment we had in store.

Lando Norris suffered a heavy hit early on, and was taken to hospital for checks. That being so, no drivers passed through the pen all race, so it became busy very quickly after the chequered flag dropped.

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Daniel Ricciardo was one of the last drivers to pass through, claiming, not for the first time that weekend, he felt delirious.

“It’s okay, next season it’s a stand-alone event,” he stated. Blank faces looked back at him. “No, it’s the start of a triple header,” I responded. His eyes widened and the famous smile dropped from his face. “You’re kidding?” An awkward pause followed and he went silent. After a moment, he looked up. “No, that does not get my vote.” The smile eventually crept back onto his face.

A fitting end to the weekend, I thought. It’s not that we did not enjoy this fantastic spectacle – I certainly did – but the hours made it near impossible to work, with one person in the paddock describing the levels of tiredness as “dangerous”. We appreciate we are some of the luckiest and most privileged people on the planet, but if the drivers make a mistake, serious consequences can happen.

F1 will have a lot to learn from the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, but I think it’s one they can be proud of, notwithstanding the problems during practice. It’s very easy to criticise change, but bills need to be paid and bums need to be on seats. You can’t fault F1 for trying, and despite a few hiccups, this one worked.

2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix

• Tost blames track inspection oversight for Sainz’s damage in Las Vegas
• Hard to repeat “rare” combination of factors behind Vegas shunt – Norris
• Las Vegas Grand Prix “got a lot more hate than it deserved” – Sargeant
• Williams’ “incredible” Vegas qualifying made us “poor” in race – Vowles
• Piastri is first rookie to take two fastest laps in a season since Hamilton

Browse all 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix articles