Any F1 Fans Here?

[lawdog77]

The track layout is pretty cool.  Thats a LOOOOONNNGG straightaway.  The visuals are gonna be awesome


No offense, but that layout stinks.  Half the race on the track and the rest zig zagging (but not all that much) through the infield?  Pass.  Thats ok for an Indy road race, but not F1.

It's pretty difficult to have an F1 race on a banked oval, especially with Michelin Tires (too soon Indy?)

[Dish]

I was in Vegas last week for work, staying at the Bellagio. I left last Friday, and walking across to PH/Paris multiple times, I thought there was no way in hell they were going to get an F1 quality track down on the Strip in time.

Not surprised at all tonight's practice got immediately cancelled.

[warriorchick]

I am living in Las Vegas right now, and I am not going anywhere near the strip this weekend.

The whole F1 thing has been a cluster.  Hotels and restaurants jacked up their prices to ridiculous amounts (e.g., $2500 minimum to eat at a restaurant with a view of the race).  Traffic is so effed up that it is taking workers on the strip 3 hours to get to work when it normally takes 20 minutes.  They cut down huge trees to put up grandstands.  Tipped employees are going to be working their asses off for less money because most of the fans are going to be non-Americans who don't understand (or care about) the tipping culture in the U.S.  And Las Vegas is locked into this race for ten years, even if it ends up not being the huge financial boom they promised.

[Dish]

I am living in Las Vegas right now, and I am not going anywhere near the strip this weekend.

The whole F1 thing has been a cluster.  Hotels and restaurants jacked up their prices to ridiculous amounts (e.g., $2500 minimum to eat at a restaurant with a view of the race).  Traffic is so effed up that it is taking workers on the strip 3 hours to get to work when it normally takes 20 minutes.  They cut down huge trees to put up grandstands.  Tipped employees are going to be working their asses off for less money because most of the fans are going to be non-Americans who don't understand (or care about) the tipping culture in the U.S.  And Las Vegas is locked into this race for ten years, even if it ends up not being the huge financial boom they promised.

The market for hotel rates/race tickets has plummeted in the last 48 hours. As an example, last Thursday night, a room at the Flamingo was going plus $200. Tonight you could get a room there for $35.

It was miserable in Vegas last week, and things aren't getting much better this weekend.

[Its DJOver]

Hamilton to Ferrari, did not see that coming.

[Golden Avalanche]

Hamilton to Ferrari, did not see that coming.

That's a sexy way to end his time in F1.

[MUBurrow]

Yeah, wow pretty surprised.  He and Toto always seemed to have a pretty good thing going.  I'm assuming this must be primarily about Hamilton's lack of confidence in Mercedes to adapt to the new 2026 regulations.  They have seemed a little slower on the draw than Ferrari this past round trying to catch up to Red Bull.

[Golden Avalanche]

Yeah, wow pretty surprised.  He and Toto always seemed to have a pretty good thing going.  I'm assuming this must be primarily about Hamilton's lack of confidence in Mercedes to adapt to the new 2026 regulations.  They have seemed a little slower on the draw than Ferrari this past round trying to catch up to Red Bull.

Feel the same plus the teammate angle. I like Russell and think he'll be a mainstay for years but that doesn't help Hamilton to drive alongside him during Russell's learning curve at Mercedes.

On the other side, though Sainz and Leclerc seem to get on off the track it's clear to the entire world that the team had trouble delineating who was first and who was second. That lead to Ferrari looking stupid quite often.

Pairing Hamilton to Leclerc in the prestige car of the sport gives F1 the boost it needs since the Red Bull domination has already sapped the enthusiasm of the casual fan.