Verstappen's interview comments about racing a 'show' street circuit

[devilmaster]

So he did a 2 minute rant about the race vs the show. I post this because of the all the debates over the years we've had on here about real race tracks vs the new street circuit du jour.

thoughts?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLALrHjALHk

[pfc_m_drake]

His point is fine, but I don't completely agree.
The good news is that we can goto Spa, Monza, AND Las Vegas, so you get a bit of everything.

In fact, I remember a race series from the mid-90s through the early 2000s that was pretty popular. One if its redeeming qualities was that it featured cool cars that raced on road, street, short oval, and superspseedway.

So I think a mix is good. Max is just cranky because he saw people partying and having a good time and he couldn't join in because he had work to do.:rofl:

[SteveH]

But then he did sing Viva Las Vegas on his cooldown lap.

How often do we hear that Monza or Spa or another classic track is in jeopardy of losing its spot on the calendar? Those tracks made their reputation in another day. Fortunately for Max, the Miami, Vegas and Dubai make it possible for him to make gazillions each year. There needs to be a mix. F1 would fail if it were all ‘passionate’ tracks just the same if all were like Miami.

[SteveH]

Las Vegas Grand Prix was “a lot of fun” in the end – Verstappen
https://www.racefans.net/2023/11/19/las-vegas-grand-prix-was-a-lot-of-fun-in-the-end-verstappen/


Las Vegas Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen described the race as “a lot of fun”, having previously criticised Formula 1’s newest event.

:rofl:

[TravelGal]

Las Vegas Grand Prix was “a lot of fun” in the end – Verstappen
https://www.racefans.net/2023/11/19/las-vegas-grand-prix-was-a-lot-of-fun-in-the-end-verstappen/

:rofl:

Everyone in the room I was in watching the race commented on that. Someone had given Mr Max the straight skinny about how to keep sponsors happy, we all agreed.

[SteveH]

His father spoke to him about his attitude. Maybe more, but this is a voice that matters even if he is a jerk.

https://x.com/erikvharen/status/1726298295226790255?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

https://x.com/screwderiaf1/status/1726147719566356559?s=61&t=oFXcsN2wTfApq6UdUB40Qg

[opinionated ow]

He was right though. Yes he enjoyed the race, mostly because he won, but the whole thing was trashy, gaudy and low-rent. I know that's what Vegas is but to those of us outside the USA we mostly don't understand the appeal of it. As far as I can tell Vegas is the worst bits of Blackpool, Surfers Paradise, Benidorm and Ibiza combined with the gambling of Macau.

[nissan gtp]

Everyone in the room I was in watching the race commented on that. Someone had given Mr Max the straight skinny about how to keep sponsors happy, we all agreed.

I guess he’s part of the 1%

[devilmaster]

I noticed the video I used in the original post was taken down. But its already past the limit on OC where I can edit the post.

so I'll just include the rant:


“I can go on for a long time but I like emotion and for me, when I was a little kid, it was about the emotion of the sport,” he said. “[That is] what I fell in love with and not the show of the sport around it because, as a real racer, that shouldn’t really matter.

“When you go to Spa, Monza, these kinds of places, they have a lot of emotion and passion. And for me, seeing the fans there is incredible. And when I jump in the car there, I’m fired up and I love driving around these kinds of places.

“Of course, I understand that fans, they need maybe something to do as well around the track. But I think it’s more important that you actually make them understand what we do as a sport because most of them just come to have a party, drink, see a DJ play or a performance act.

“I can do that all over the world. I can go to Ibiza and get completely shitfaced and have a good time.

“But that’s what happens and actually people… they come and they become fan of what? They want to see maybe their favourite artists and have a few drinks with their mates and then go out and have a crazy night out.

“But they don’t actually understand what we’re doing or what we’re putting on the line to perform and I think if you would actually invest more time into the actual sport, what we’re actually trying to achieve here to…

“As a little kid, we grew up wanting to be a World Champion. If the sport put more focus on to these kinds of things and also explain more what the team is doing, try to see them, what they are achieving, what they’re working for. These kinds of things I find way more important to look at than just having all these random shows all over the place.

“For me it’s not what I’m very passionate about and I like passion and emotion with these kinds of places. I love Vegas but not to drive an F1 car.

“I love to go out have a few drinks, throw everything on red or whatever, to be a bit crazy, have nice food. But like I said: emotion, passion. So there compared to some old school tracks.”