Why Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo wants a change of date for Las Vegas for the 2024 season and how he experienced the 2023 premiere
Daniel Ricciardo answers questions about the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix and says he is glad that there will not be another race weekend immediately after Las Vegas in 2024. A journalist disagrees and explains that Las Vegas is the prelude to a triple-header on the 2024 Formula 1 calendar. And that in turn causes a clear reaction from Ricciardo
He says: “Honestly? I don’t think that’s good! They actually have to bring this event forward. Because [after Las Vegas] we’ll be in a mess, especially towards the end of the season. So hopefully something can still be done.”
However, the date is just one of several issues that Ricciardo has identified at the premiere weekend in Las Vegas 2023. For example, the late start times of the individual sessions were “definitely borderline”, says the AlphaTauri driver.
Ricciardo: “If we were flexible, then we should bring the sessions forward a little for the sake of health and safety. It could also be a bit warmer. Then everyone would have a bit more power. ”
Ricciardo wants better asphalt in Las Vegas
“And maybe something can be done with the track surface so that it is rougher and offers more grip in the race.”
In fact, the organizers on site in Las Vegas have at least tried to make the track surface a little grippier for Formula 1. Apparently not with the success Ricciardo wanted. That’s why he says: “Then you just have to do more.”
In this case, Formula 1 should take the track in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia as a model: “It’s a fast street circuit, but you can really throw the car into the corners there. So if the grip were better in Las Vegas too, we would definitely have more fun driving. Turn 3 could then go full out and it would be a pretty serious corner. ”
No understanding for Verstappen’s criticism
Despite these shortcomings, Las Vegas 2023 was a “good event”, emphasizes Ricciardo. “I’ve had worse weekends in terms of working hours and media appointments and all that. Las Vegas was rather stressful, but not the craziest thing I’ve done.”
“If Thursday hadn’t dragged on so long [due to the delays], it would have actually felt kind of normal. Other than that, there was nothing wild.”
He could not understand the criticism from his fellow drivers around Max Verstappen, who were bothered by “too much show”: “Some of the drivers were quite upset, but I honestly think they overreacted. It wasn’t that bad. It was fine. “
