'Big Picture, Everything Was Great': Wolff Summarizes Las Vegas Grand Prix Weekend

Wednesday, 22 November 2023 at 16:00

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix - the new Formula One World Championship calendar addition.

Formula One has visited Las Vegas in its history during the years 1981 and 1982 for the Caesars Palace Grand Prix. However, the Grand Prix did not receive good reception, and F1 would not return to Sin City until 2023.

This time around, the race in Las Vegas took place at a newly built circuit centered around the Las Vegas Strip. Hence the name Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

The race weekend in Sin City did not meet with the best reception when it was announced for various reasons, from the simple-looking circuit layout to the timing of the Grand Prix.

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On the other hand, the Las Vegas Grand Prix ended up providing one of the best races F1 fans have seen in the 2023 season. As quoted by speedcafe.com, Toto Wolff said after the race:

"It was an awesome weekend. The drain cover was nothing, as I said at the time. When you look back, a spectacular race, great audiences, mega event, and some good racing at the front. That’s what I will remember of the inaugural Las Vegas race that ticked all of the boxes."

It is surprising to see Wolff being so positive about the weekend, as it was one of the least successful races for Mercedes F1 team this season.

After being asked about what he would change about the race moving forward, the Austrian responded: "It’s logistics. How do you manage the traffic situation in Las Vegas?"

The timing has been one of the biggest complaints among F1 drivers and other team principals, as the late-night Qualifying and race disrupted everybody's circadian rhythm. Wolff concluded:

"I don’t want to find a hair in the soup because it was so great. If we can take a look at the detail of the timing and maybe have qualifying a little bit earlier…but the big picture, everything was great."