Max Verstappen Explained Why He’s Not Excited at All for Las Vegas Grand Prix

Max Verstappen explained why he's not impressed with the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

This weekend’s Formula One race will be unlike any other in the history of the sport. For the first time, F1 is coming to Las Vegas, where the race will be held on the famous Las Vegas Strip. 

F1 is hoping the sight of cars speeding past the bright lights of the Strip will wow fans, but at least one driver isn’t feeling the glitz and glamour of the race. Max Verstappen, who clinched the drivers’ championship last month, said he wasn’t impressed with all the hoopla. 

Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of The Netherlands celebrates winning the Formula 1 Lenovo United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday October 22, 2023 :: Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

“I think it is 99% show, 1% sport,” Verstappen said, according to Reuters. “They (Formula One) still make money if I like it or not so it is not up to me.

“But I’m not going to fake it. I always voice my opinion in positive things, in negative things, that’s just how I am.

"It’s not really my thing."

"Some people like a show, I don’t like it at all."

With Verstappen having already secured the championship, there isn’t much drama surrounding Saturday’s race. F1 is counting on the spectacle of racing down the strip to get fans to tune in for the second-to-last race of the year even though the title has been decided. The race will begin at 10 p.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) to maximize the visual effect of the bright lights of the Strip while also allowing fans in Europe to watch early in the morning. 

Holding the event in Las Vegas this time of year also poses a few challenges for teams, particularly due to the weather. With temperatures expected to be in the low 50s at race time, teams are having to make adjustments to their tires in anticipation of one of the coldest races in F1 history.