Autobayng News Team
Max Verstappen says he decided to be less outspoken following his criticism of Formula 1’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix two years ago.
As F1 attempted to maximise the buzz around its first race at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit in 2023, Verstappen gave a far from positive assessment of the event.
He described the track as “not very interesting” and after driving it for the first time said it was “no fun” to drive. He called the event “99% show.”
After taking victory in the inaugural event, Verstappen attempted to strike a more positive note, saying it ended up being “a lot of fun”. Last year he clinched his fourth world championship at the circuit.
However he did not indicate whether his view of the event has changed when asked today, saying he prefers not to voice any opinions. “I feel good,” he said. “The food is great, I had a good dinner last night. The hotel is great.
“I also learned to not always speak too much – because first of all, it’s better for myself, and less headlines. So that’s probably safer for everyone.
“But I have a good time. I’ve been here many times even before F1, and I’ve always enjoyed it.”
Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jnr believes the event improved last year because the promoters dialled back the hype which accompanied the first race at the track.
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“It’s a venue that I think got a lot of criticism on the first year,” he told the official F1 channel. “I think we tried too hard in the first year but second and third year I feel a lot more comfortable coming here and I think it’s a lot better.
“Hopefully it becomes one of the F1 classics because it’s a great racetrack to go racing. Not so much for qualifying, it’s nothing special but it produces good racing which in the end is all we need.”
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