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Thus far, the inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix has been a bit of mess.
But an incredible list of celebrity attendees planned for Saturday night’s race might just rescue it.
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz crashed in the opening practice on Thursday night due to an improperly sealed manhole cover on the circuit.
That led to the cancellation of the practice session and delay of the second practice session, which fans were not allowed to attend due to a lack of staffing.
Formula 1 Issues Statement On Practice Debacle
“Our top priority at Formula 1 is the safety and security of our drivers, employees, and fans,” F1 said in a statement. “Responsibility for the oversight of a Formula 1 event falls with Formula 1 as the commercial rights holder of the sport, the FIA as the regulatory body, and the local promoter, in this case the Las Vegas Grand Prix. This is important for those who are new to racing to understand.
“Last night, approximately nine minutes into the first Free Practice session, a water valve cover broke on the straight on Las Vegas Boulevard. At that time the FIA, which is responsible for the safe running of the activities on the circuit, stopped the session so that we could look at the broken water valve cover and inspect the track. This has happened on occasion at other tracks at other races around the world.
“The precautionary step of removing all of the water valve covers on the entire track and filling them with sand and asphalt was undertaken. The entire process, from determination of the issue to remediation, took approximately five hours. The decision to remediate in this way was taken out of an abundance of caution and because the safety of drivers, trackside marshals and officials and our fans is always our highest priority. We thank the contractors who worked expeditiously to resolve the situation so quickly.”
Friday night’s third practice session and qualifying went off without a hitch.
Which sets the tone for perhaps the most highly anticipated race of the season; one which brought the stars out in full force.
Celebs attending @F1LasVegas tonight include Tom Brady, LeBron James, Rihanna, Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, David Beckham, Brad Pitt, Bad Bunny, Rita Ora, Future, Renée Zellweger, Daniel Craig, Heidi Klum, Lupita Nyong'o, Marshmello, A$AP Rocky, Martin Garrix, Michael B Jordan. pic.twitter.com/PKFsfe8Vcj
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) November 18, 2023
Travis Kelce, LeBron James, Brad Pitt and Bad Bunny highlight an absolutely loaded list of celebrity attendees.
Should the race go well, it could go a long toward F1’s continued growth in the US.