Farce about fans and water shaft in Las Vegas
After the farce surrounding a defective water shaft during the opening training session in Las Vegas and the subsequent clearing of the grandstands, Formula 1 has provided an attempt at an explanation.
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had raced over the defective cover of a water shaft on the so-called strip and thus involuntarily caused the session to be aborted after 19 minutes. Only after a delay of two and a half hours were the drivers able to contest the second session, which was extended by 30 minutes, following inspections and repairs to the asphalt. By then, the fan zones had long since been cleared by the organizers.
"As a precautionary measure, all the covers of the water shafts were removed from the entire track and filled with sand and asphalt. The entire process, from identifying the problem to fixing it, took about five hours," said a statement from Formula 1 Managing Director Stefano Domenicali and race organizer Renee Wilm. There are around 30 of these water pits on the track.
Organizer: Concern for employees
The delay in the start of the second free practice session from midnight to 2.30 a.m. then brought with it "risks for our employees and our fans". "We made the decision to close the fan areas, which are under the responsibility of LVGP (Las Vegas Grand Prix), at 1.30am and send the fans home."
According to the organizers, they were concerned "about our public safety and security staff who have been on duty for a long time and now have to work the next three nights." Those responsible were also concerned about the transportation staff "who are responsible for transporting our fans back to the hotels. Under federal law, they ran up against the time limit they are legally and safely allowed to drive buses."
"It happens, and we hope people will be understanding." Formula One hopes that based on this explanation, fans will understand "that we had to balance many interests, including the safety of all participants and the fan experience throughout the race weekend."
The organizers and motorsport royalty concluded their statement by noting that everyone has been to events such as concerts or other Formula 1 races "that have been cancelled due to factors such as weather or technical issues. It happens and we hope that people will understand."
200-dollar vouchers as compensation
That remains to be seen. According to the British media, all those fans who only had a ticket for the opening day and were only able to experience a few minutes of the training session received vouchers worth 200 dollars, which they could redeem in the event's online fan store.
The forthcoming Grand Prix in Las Vegas will feature a race on the same track where Formula 1 had to deal with a water shaft issue during GP Las Vegas, causing a delay and safety concerns for fans and employees. Formula 1 drivers will now contest the Formula 1 races, ensuring no similar incidents occur during the GP Las Vegas event.
Source: www.dpa.com
