F1 News: Drivers Advocate For Re-Scheduling Of 2024 Las Vegas GP To Avoid A Triple- Header

Having three Grand Prix events on consecutive weekends, known as a triple-header, would be overwhelming for both, the drivers and teams.

Several drivers are urging the FIA and Formula One Management to separate the Las Vegas Grand Prix from the Middle East races, as the double-header with Abu Dhabi this season is all set to expand into a triple-header in 2024. Having three Grands Prix events on consecutive weekends, known as a triple-header, would be overwhelming for both the drivers and teams.

Formula 1's inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix ended on a grand note after a rather eventful weekend where F1 witnessed many 'firsts' in its history in terms of the show's grandeur, lights, glamour, and most importantly- the extremely fast but technical circuit.

While the drivers and teams took in an entirely different flavor of an F1 event, there was one aspect that prevented them from being 100% in form- the fatigue from the lack of sleep and jetlag, courtesy of the race timings being different compared to the other venues of F1's calendar. 

As teams travelled eight time zones to adopt the Las Vegas Grand Prix's schedule, several team bosses are optimistic that the race's timetable can be moved earlier by a few hours next year, as the fatigue of all those involved with the sport and the teams will be further intensified by a double-header with Abu Dhabi, requiring a lengthy journey with a time zone shift of 12 hours to the east.

A Big No From The Drivers

On hearing that next year's Las Vegas GP will be the start of a triple header, with the Qatar GP being accommodated between the race in the US and the Abu Dhabi GP, AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo has called for a change in the schedule. When informed that it was going to be a triple header next year, he said:

"What!? No way!

"Yeah, that does not have my vote. And now, knowing that, they need to bring it forward, because we will be wrecked, especially end of the season.

"I've done like six races, and I already feel it, so hopefully they can make something work.

"After Thursday, after that late [FP2] session, I feel like probably all of us have been a little bit delirious and hallucinating, so it felt like a bit of a whirlwind since then."

World Champion Max Verstappen was all for shifting the Las Vegas GP dates next season. He also suggested that it should be paired with another race in the US. He added:

"For next year maybe that is not possible but to maybe make it a bit better travelling also to Abu Dhabi.

"At the moment it's such a big time shift that, especially at the end of the season when everyone is already a bit tired, I think it's a little bit much.

"So, maybe it would be ideal to find a different kind of date because I find that maybe we need to do more of an American tour.

"Of course, maybe for ticket sales I don't know if that's ideal, so maybe we can find a bit of a solution there.

"I think the 12-hour time zone shifts and also completely different timings for racing, I find that a bit much." 

On the other hand, teammate Sergio Perez was for making Las Vegas the grand finale venue. He said:

"I think it was a great first event but like Max says, just to think about that we have to go now to Abu Dhabi, probably the longest distance that we have to travel the whole year...

"So yeah, probably look at it and make Vegas the final race."