“A few hours earlier”: Carlos Sainz voices his suggestion for F1 regarding future Las Vegas races
Carlos Sainz recently advised F1 to schedule the next Las Vegas GP sessions at a more suitable time of day. The Las Vegas GP is the only race that takes place late at night.
When Las Vegas GP was first announced, it was decided that the race sessions would take place at night. However, to ensure that other parts of the world can also enjoy the spectacle without much issue, the on-track timing was scheduled for late at night. Last year, due to Carlos Sainz's car being damaged by a dislodged drain cover, the second practice session was pushed back to an extremely late hour, when hardly any F1 fans were present in the stands.
This year, Sainz had a much better race weekend in the Sin City since he secured P3 in the race, finishing just behind race winner George Russell and second-placed Lewis Hamilton. When asked about the race weekend schedule, he suggested that F1 should shift the Las Vegas GP sessions a few hours earlier.
He added that many in the F1 paddock would appreciate an early finish, especially considering team members often remain there for hours afterward.
"I would bring the race forward by a few hours if I could. I think that would help everyone in the paddock, everyone who works here in this sport. I think that would put everyone in a healthier and better mood over the weekend," Sainz told Motorsport-Total.
The Ferrari driver further suggested that the Las Vegas GP and Qatar GP should not be conducted back-to-back.
"So simply bring the race and the times forward by a few hours, and not as a back-to-back race with Qatar. I would ask about that as the next step," he added.
Carlos Sainz shower praises on the Las Vegas track after securing P3
Apart from making schedule changes and not keeping it adjacent to the Qatar event, Carlos Sainz had nothing but praise for the Las Vegas GP and its track. Speaking to Motorsport-Total, he hailed the track for offering a great spectacle for the fans, as well as having decent overtaking areas and a challenging layout.
"Otherwise, a great track for a good race, great for overtaking, also a challenging course. I wouldn't change anything else, just these two details. Then everything would be better," Carlos Sainz said.
2024 was the second year in which the Las Vegas GP took place. Though the track's first Grand Prix was not the smoothest, its second offered great action without any major hiccups.
As of now, the Las Vegas track has a short-term contract in the F1 calendar that stretches till 2025. However, the Grand Prix hosts are planning to extend the track's contract and make it a more permanent circuit on the calendar.