While F1 and the FIA have given the green light to November's Las Vegas Grand Prix, following complaints from local businesses the Clark County Commission has yet to give November's race the green light.

Other than the fact that the opening two races of the forthcoming season take place on Saturdays, another anomaly of the 2024 race schedule, as released by F1 and the FIA on 15 December, was, for the first time in living memory, the absence of the asterisks that mark an event as being subject to approval, in other words yet to be officially confirmed.

However, whilst F1 and FIA might be happy, one group is not, and as a result there is a threat to what Liberty Media is hoping will become the jewel in the sport's crown.

Traders in Las Vegas are up in arms not only at the disruption caused by last November's race but the negative impact it had on their businesses, and as a result a complaint has been lodged with the Clark County Government.

They complain that organisers never hinted at the disruption the event would cause, and for how long, with local roads closed meaning a serious reduction in footfall. Indeed, they claim that organisers hoodwinked them and broke promises made in the run-up to the event.

"We don't need the F1. The F1 needs us," Jay's Market owner Wade Bohn, tells LVSportsBiz.com. "We want to be compensated for the losses that occurred due to everything F1, the county, and the LVCVA (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority) did.

"We believe the county is responsible," he added. "They're using taxpayer dollars to bring F1 into town.

"When F1 went before the county, they promised they would not be a hindrance, that they would be a part of the community. What they did was they came in, tore everything up, ran the race, and got the hell out of Dodge... If this happens again next year I will be out of business... 100 percent."

And happen again it no doubt will as public roads will need to be repurposed and grandstands and barriers erected then dismantled every year.

"We as a community got bamboozled, we got fooled," added Randy Markin, owner of Battista's restaurant and general manager of Stage Door Casino. "This has not ever happened before. It just steamrolled out of control."

Appearing before the Clark County Commission, a representative of the business owners was adamant that they want compensation to make up for their losses over the race weekend and the upheaval due to road closures and the erection and subsequent removal of the various grandstands and temporary venues. He stressed that the businesses have no interest in a class-action lawsuit.

"None of us want to destroy Las Vegas," insisted Markin. "We don't want a lawsuit. We want to turn a negative into a positive. It's much better if the county commission, LVCVA, and F1 get together and be proactive about this problem."

"For sure, we will be looking at this in the future," said Tick Segerblom, chairman of the Clark County Commission. "Before we approve F1 (for 2024), we will address the businesses that have been impacted in the past and are likely to be impacted in the future."

Of course, other than the threat from local businesses there also remains the little matter of the class action lawsuit brought by those fans ejected from the circuit just moments before the delayed second practice session got underway.

This, and the fact that the local businesses will be aware that they face the same disruption in November then again in 2025, 2026 and so on, not to mention that they effectively have F1 over a barrel, will send out a negative message to any other American city in which the sport is hoping to hold an event.

The negative publicity about the disruption will put off any other location in the US from holding a street race, and Liberty can effectively kiss goodbye to any hopes of a street race in New York.

F1 had already had to back down in Miami, where the event was forced out of the intended downtown location to the Dolphins stadium due to complaints from locals. The backlash against the race in Vegas will cripple the chances of any other street race taking place in the US for years to come.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Chester, 21/01/2024 17:09

"Luck is the reason the Las Vegas race was halfway decent? Luck.

Let it go. Las Vegas did not fail. All of us, including me, were wrong that Las Vegas was going to fall on its face."

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2. Posted by Spindoctor, 19/01/2024 14:47

"The "racing" isn't really the focus of modern F1, as its being recreated by Liberty. Just another entertainment which (if they have their way) will focus increasingly on "personality" less on performance.
Las Vegas works extremely well in this context & the controversy can only boost the "profile" of the "event", with beneficial (financial) consequences for everyone involved.

Last season saw a halfway decent race, but that was more luck than judgement....."

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3. Posted by Chester, 19/01/2024 13:48

"Las Vegas was THE best street race last year. Don't like it? Don't watch"

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4. Posted by ffracer, 18/01/2024 7:54

"Love love LOVE Watkins Glen: the circuit, the small friendly town and always having a drink at the infamous Seneca Lodge, where they still have 60's GP winners dried wreaths and other treasures hanging from the rafters... but where will all the billionaires and corporate stay? Sadly, in this F1 entertainment-accounting day and age, F1 will not recede from Vegas' ugly track layout adorned by city blocks of casinos, hotels, endless theme parks and seemingly endless ROI to .... iconic mega circuit offering quaint remote, lush rolling hills and motels.

Vegas GP officials: would you consider a permanent circuit repurposing the nearby Vegas Speedway - utilising the infield and main straight "alla Mexico stadium theme" with a blast out of the speedway complex onto a killer track layout mimicing portions of Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca .... complete with rows of F1 VIP suites, bottle service and incredible shuttle service to and from the close proximity of downtown Vegas, so it's a win win for all? "

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5. Posted by trackrecords, 18/01/2024 7:35

"Perhaps take a leaf out of Formula E's book when it comes to the London E-prix: run the thing in a warehouse and the car park. It inconveniences no one, and just happens in its own self-contained area."

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6. Posted by kenji, 17/01/2024 11:12

"@Ricardo-sanchez. Your suggestion is what should happen but it won't for a very simple reason. Liberty see F1 primarily as 'enterttainment' and not a sporting related business competition. Once you realise that is the base then all their moves fall into place. It was firtst mooted quite a while back when it was floated as a concept...races held at globally attractive 'destination' cities. Even Bernie tried to get a race in New York for a very long time, as well as London. The concept, from a purely business POV has certain attractions of which I am sure that you can visualise. What we are witnessing are the ideas being put into reality. A bit of a mess IMO but once the ball starts to roll it's hard to apply the brakes. To even think of writing Spa out of the fiuture plans was a red flag to me!!!."

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7. Posted by Ricardo_sanchez, 17/01/2024 8:27

"Investing improving & upgrading permanent circuits would surely avoid all this nonsense & also provide better venues for motor racing all year round? Grass roots motorsport would benefit, circuit owners would benefit & so would fans. The money would be invested into something permanent and tangible rather than being used to build & dismantle temporary structures. "

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8. Posted by Defiant, 16/01/2024 23:39

"hahahahhahahahha, F1 needs LV.... hahahaha, no it doesn't. I really hope that Fiberty walk away but I doubt very much that they will. I agree with the previous posters pointing out that the shop owners are just trying to fleece F1 some more. Not even a low IQ hermit crab would think all the preparation, the race and then the dismantling would cause no disruption in their business. They went along with it and are now just trying to dip their hands back into the cookie jar. I wonder how many of us are singing "told ya so" and hoping that we've seen the last of these awful US street tracks. Try copying COTA and building a purpose built track, or repurposing a classic like BrightonCorgi suggested."

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9. Posted by phantom, 16/01/2024 20:11

"Maybe they should race in a parking lot."

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10. Posted by ffracer, 16/01/2024 18:46

"Cannot confirm (we'll never see all the signed documentation / what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas) on but I would agree that these businesses are trying to squeeze /lobby/coerce for more compensation... because F1 Vegas had billions to make it happen. I can't help but wonder how these businesses pleading innocence on the implications of staging a street race when they should have known, or ought to have known, if they ever did their due diligence. The U.S. perfected the streetcourse method (nearby Long Beach is one of the oldest venues) with so many cities hosting many forms of racing (Indycar, IMSA, Formula E, SCCA, etc) in this manner since."

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11. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 16/01/2024 15:50

"Vegas had no support races over the weekend too, is that right?"

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12. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 16/01/2024 15:49

"Agree with the local business owners on this one. Bring the race to Watkins Glenn or Indy."

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13. Posted by KKK, 16/01/2024 14:37

"Las Vegas GP was an absolute disgrace. I only went cos someone paid for my flights and tickets. Give me Monza, SPA, Imola, Silverstone any time. All the races in the US have been all about hype, donuts, cheerleaders and tacky side shows. Not F1, F1 doesnt need Las Vegas"

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