Formula One F1 - Las Vegas Grand Prix - Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States - November 24, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates with team after winning the 2024 F1 world championship title REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Formula One drivers said the Las Vegas Grand Prix is finding its footing after its first year struggles and said they look forward to returning to Sin City for the flashy night race along the Las Vegas Strip.
The inaugural edition of the race was hampered by locals upset about the months of disruptive construction leading up to it, while drivers complained that the sport was being treated more as a sideshow than the main event.
The construction pain was more limited this time around and the stands on Saturday night were packed with enthusiastic fans on hand to witness Max Verstappen claim his fourth consecutive championship with a fifth place finish.
"Vegas is just a crazy, crazy place," champagne-soaked race winner George Russell said with a smile as the Bellagio Fountains danced and fireworks lit up the Nevada sky.
"When you're driving, you see all of this in the background. I can't even describe this place.
"So to get a victory here, pole position, dominant weekend, one-two with (Mercedes teammate) Lewis (Hamilton) as well, we couldn't have chosen a better place to make this happen."
Third-place finisher Carlos Sainz of Ferrari said the action on the track is entertaining enough and the event did not need all the added hoopla that organizers pumped into it the first time around.
"It's been a step forward compared to last year," he told reporters.
"I feel like last year, F1, if anything, was trying a bit too hard to put on too much of a show.
"It got a bit too much away from Formula One and too much into Vegas style. And I feel like this year we've just been just more normal doing our own thing. And it's been a success. It just shows the Formula One product works and you don't need to try too hard."
The drivers acknowledged that the Qatar Grand Prix coming the following weekend made for a difficult travel schedule, and that the late start times for practices, qualifying and the race itself to accommodate the European viewing audience were also tough.
"For sure the back-to-back is not the easiest," said Hamilton.
"It's massively challenging for everyone here, and particularly for the people that work in the garages that are on their feet taking the car to pieces now, packing it up and shipping it over, and they won't get a lot of rest."
But the seven-time world champion, who conceded to being awestruck by the spectacle before the race, said it was all worth it.
"The race is absolutely fantastic," he told reporters.
"It's such a great event. They've really, really done a mega job this year. So I can't wait to come back next year."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Las Vegas; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
