What’s that well used slogan ‘bout What Happens in
Las Vegas, Uhm Stays in Vegas…
Perhaps it’s just Mwah? But I was simply
Cornfuzed over the time F1, ostensibly Liberty Media decided to host it’s
inaugural “Ninety Nine percent” Showcase Las Vegas Grand Prix at.
Here upon the West coast, you needed to have a
score card to keep track of the Dizzying’ (Walt Disney) Network of Shopping
channels Formula 1 was being aired upon. With Thursday night’s FP1 (Free
Practice) on le Deusch’, aka ESPN2 at 8:25PM Pacific. And FP2 on ESPN at
11:55PM; both being One Hour and five minutes duration.
Friday’s FP3 session was on ESPN U at 8:25PM
before Qualie’ bounced over to ESPN at 11:55PM; both being 65mins airings.
Before the race on Saturday Nite’, what’s that Sir Elton? (John) About Saturday
Night’s Alright for Fighting…
With Saturday night’s TV coverage with the ridiculous
85mins Preamble beginning at 8:30PM Pacific. Followed by race coverage starting
at 9:55PM, lasting for a further Two Hours and five minutes, provided No Red
flags or Safety Cars were deployed!
Having never been real good on ryth-Muh-tickin’,
with No Fenders Offical’ Potographer Carpets constantly reminding Mwah that
Indianapolis, along with the desired East Coast TV market is plus three Hours
ahead of the West Coast. Meaning that the race itself won’t see the Starting lights
going Green until a skosh after 1AM Eastern!
Making me wonder who’s this race really being
held for? The vaunted U.S. market that’s being discussed Ad Nausea? Or instead
for the British to have something to watch during their breakfast instead?
As that was before Thursday night’s Debacle! Y’all
know when a concrete “frame” came loose around a Manhole cover that caught out
an unexpecting Carlos Sainz Jr! Effectively writing off His Ferrari SF23
chassis after only eight minutes of Free Practice 1! Not to mention also
seriously damaging Estabon Ocon’s Alpine when the Frenchman too collided with
the errant Manhole cover, WHAMOE!
As I find it
totally inconceivable that Sainz was forced to incur a 10-place Grid Penalty
for excessive PU (Power Unit) components usage due to this accident, and not of
His own making! And that the FIA has No Force Majure clause in it’s sporting
regulations for such outcomes!
And do Not even get me started on the El Stupidio’,
Err Stupendous Olympic themed Opening Ceremonies Bullshit! Y’all know when Max
Verstappen said He felt like a Clown!
As a Huge part of Mwah wanted to simply Boycott
“watching”, Err listening to any of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend’s
theatrics!
Although like watching a train wreck or really
bad traffic accident. I was semi-intrigued over how Horrific the Pre-race
Rope-ah-dope F1 Driver introductions would be?
And it sounded like that many of the insanely
overpriced “Hospitality” Grand Stand seats would be empty! While General
Admission tickets were sold out, with would be Fans clambering for more GA
availability! Especially if Y’all gotta pay to stay in some Vegas Strip’s
Hotel? Not to mention Air Fare and presumably a rental car to boot?
And that was before the possibility of All of
the major Hotel’s Chefs being on Strike, Gobble-Gobble!
Not to mention the CEO of Liberty Media taking
the extraordinary step of publicly Apologizing to the local Las Vegas residents
for the Disruption to their Daily lifes! All of which made me Flash back to Phoenix,
Arizona’s Iceberg Grand Prix! Which was much unloved by locals for the same
reasons. Not to mention being outdrawn by a rival Ostrich Festival!
https://www.grandprix.com/news/liberty-issues-public-apology-for-las-vegas-f1-chaos.html
Although I’m not sure how much of an “Apology”
Gregory Maffei was making by telling the people of Las Vegas that His event
would net them $1.7b as in Billion! Revenue for hosting the event.
Now may be I’m still cornfuzed, But? Liberty
Media’s trumpeting how they want to make Las Vegas’s Grand Prix the Bestest Fan
experience ever! But with General Admission tickets reportedly costing
$1,156.00, which basically equates to $400 per day being sold out. And Grandstand
tickets starting at an outrageously eye watering $11,247.00! Which Fans are
Liberty Media pandering too? And Yes, I realize it’s a business, but five
nights minimum stay in a Hotel, Yada-Yada-Yada!
Not to mention racing in 50 degrees Fahrenheit
with Rain expected! Along with Yuhs know it, Stupendous Drivers introduction
just makes me shake my Head in Disgust, and wonder who is this race really for?
Having been a true Fan of Formula 1 for nearly 40
years now, and supporting F1 Stateside thru it’s “lean” times when nobody but
Hard core Fans followed it. I find myself completely turned off by the Disgusting
Spectale’ Liberty Media’s turned this Bombastic Grand Prix Uhm, race into!
And with it’s truly being “99% Show and 1%
Sporting Event!” I personally decided to Boycott “watching”, Err listening to Any
of the weekend’s TV coverage, which is one of the few reasons I still pay an
outrageous amount for Cable TV…
As I’d say I made the right choice for at least
Thursday night’s Blunder, err “show”. As (Free Practice) FP2 was delayed two
and a half Hours in order to inspect All of the track’s Manhole covers! With
Fans being forced to go Home instead of attending the 2:30AM Pacific start
time, for an extended 90mins practice. Because of a lack of Security personnel!
With practice ending at Gory 4AM, WTF!
Whilst I was doing a rain dance in Oregon for
Friday night’s Qualie’ session…
As I far more care about the MotoGP Championship instead! And simply tuned into Sunday’s 90mins “packaged” Qatar Grand Prix instead. Where the temperatures were cooler than Formula One’s Farcical event in October! Not to mention being a far more competitive Sporting event…
