Max Verstappen: Las Vegas F1 race 'more for the show'

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Oct 22, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Red Bull Racing Honda driver Max Verstappen (1) of Team Netherlands on podium after the 2023 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.
Oct 22, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Red Bull Racing Honda driver Max Verstappen (1) of Team Netherlands on podium after the 2023 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.
Image: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Max Verstappen understands the interest around the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix, but that doesn't mean the Red Bull star is excited about the newest track on the Formula 1 schedule.

Verstappen, who has already clinched his third world championship, is not thrilled with the layout of the 3.853-mile street circuit, which includes a straightaway down the Las Vegas Strip.

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"First of all, I think we are there more for the show than the racing itself if you look at the layout of the track," Verstappen said, per AutoSport. "But you know, I'm actually not that into it. I'm more like, I'll go there and do my thing and be gone again."

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The Las Vegas circuit has been compared to Monaco, an iconic event that weaves through the city streets and allows for very little passing on race day.

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"But Monaco is also just history and the place itself," Verstappen said. "Everyone wants to have been to Monaco once. You can't really compare."

The Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on Nov. 18 and is the third F1 race in the United States, joining Austin and Miami. F1 has invested $240 million into the event as it continues to expand its footprint in North America.

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"In terms of racing spectacle, maybe not. But in terms of potential partners, for the whole thing around it maybe," Verstappen said when asked about the potential value Las Vegas adds to F1. "But of course, that's something I'm not very much into."

—Field Level Media