Formula 1 2023 has been preparing for one of its most popular and publicized races of the season: the Las Vegas GP, which returns to the calendar this weekend after 41 years, now with a night race.
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But the preparation for the stage in the United States was marked by criticism from residents due to the impact on the city – the urban race will be held on the outskirts of the Las Vegas Strip, an avenue that houses the city’s main tourist attractions.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton demanded respect from the local population, highlighting that the elite circus should not affect daily life.
“I heard there were a lot of complaints from locals about the event being here. I think we have to be respectful of the local people, there are so many people working hard. There is a lot of money and fortune in this city, and in the places we go (with F1), in this industry. We have to make sure that people are looked after, I think. We can’t be a circus that appears full of glamor and affects people negatively,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.
Namely, the works to build grandstands, paddock facilities – which will be called “pit building”, avoiding association with Stephen Paddock, shooter who killed 59 people in a 2017 attack in Vegas – and other demands related to the GP increased traffic of the city, as well as noise pollution. A worker died in a work accident at the Bellagio fountains.
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As a result, the new circuit on the Strip is 6.12 km long, has 17 curves, two DRS activation zones, two chicanes and three more straights, the longest of which is between turns 10 and 11.
There will be 50 laps along the route, totaling 310.05 km of race. The cold at night, driven by the high temperature range of the Las Vegas desert, is a concern due to possible difficulties in heating the tires.
Thus, F1 2023 returns between the 17th and 19th of November for the Las Vegas GP, which marks the penultimate stage of the season.
Max Verstappen and RBR are already driver and team champions, respectively; Lewis Hamilton, in turn, is looking for runner-up this season, but is 32 points behind Sergio Pérez.