F1 apologises to Las Vegas for Grand Prix disruption

Formula One’s owners, Liberty Media, have apologised to the city of Las Vegas for the disruption caused by the Grand Prix scheduled for this weekend.

Despite the sport’s return to the city after over 40 years, some residents have been frustrated by the impact of the event, particularly along the famous Las Vegas Boulevard. Access to the strip and hotels is expected to be limited at times during the week.

Work to get the track ready for racing has been ongoing for nine months, with roads being resurfaced and the construction of the pit and paddock areas causing disruption.

“I want to apologise to all the Las Vegas residents and we appreciate that they have their forbearance and their willingness to tolerate us,” Greg Maffei, Liberty CEO said.

However, Maffei also highlighted the positives of bringing Formula One to the city for the first time since 1982.

“We’re going to bring something like $1.7 billion of revenue to the area. So it’s not just for the benefit of fans who want to view. We hope this is a great economic benefit in Las Vegas. We hope this is the most difficult year with all the construction that went on and things will be easier in the future.”

Racing gets underway on Thursday.