LAS VEGAS — There's never been a faster, more jaw-dropping 180-degree turn than the one Max Verstappen took a year ago at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Dutchman hated the event even before he arrived — local residents were also outraged, but for different reasons — and argued the showcase event of Liberty Media's F1 portfolio had become a spectacle instead of a sporting event. The enormous, illuminated Sphere on the Strip rotated driver images, prices for anything from tickets to hotel rooms were very expensive and Liberty is believed to have spent close to a $1 billion to promote its first Formula 1 event.
(Much of that money was spent on one-time costs like land acquisition, a permanent pits building and road repaving). Verstappen, closing in on his third consecutive championship last November, was in a sour mood even before the opening ceremony. LED lighting, an expansive drone show and musical acts, all in front of an estimated 30,000 spectators until finally drivers were elevated from inside elaborate boxes/stages to be introduced in their fire suits.
There were plenty of bumps from there, including a valve cover that popped off a manhole during the first practice and nearly destroyed Carlos Sainz's car. But by the time Verstappen crossed the finish line for his 18th win of the season, he was singing "Viva! Las Vegas!" on his radio. And his grin was enormous as he watched a the massive fireworks display over the Strip.
Just like that, a race that seemed o.