From a post on Reddit I read, some hardcore F1 fans from Las Vegas paid $200+fees for a Thursday-only ticket just to see the cars running in their city, only to be kicked out after only 8 minutes of actual running and a long wait in the cold, leaving the area as the cars resumed FP2, and being told that there would be no refunds. Honestly, infuriating.

The reason for kicking out people was obligations the employer holds for personnel (securities and support staff). They needed to send the employees home because it was getting too late in the night and their shifts were ending.

How tf FOM did not see this coming is unbelievable. It's literally advertised as a night race, they should have known that there is a possibility for delays. I have never seen anything like this in Europe, where most countries arguably have stronger wodker protection laws. How did they not have another team on hold that could take on those responsibilities?

This is appalling. Some of these people might have come to F1 for the first time and this experience will drive them away.

Firstly, this race and all the practices etc should be DURING THE DAYTIME in the local country. Is ridiculous to expect fans to come at 1am. Are the FIA f*ing mad???

So what if we here in the EU will be sleeping had it been during the Day? We can either choose to stay up or catch the replay.

I think they've lost their minds a little.

I was there. Such a shitshow. My family and I had tickets in the stands at T5. We did leave the fan areas around 12:30a because music was stopping, food was stopping, and it was getting cold just sitting/standing around doing nothing, having heard FP2 was tentatively scheduled for 2:00a. We went into a casino to get coffee and warm up, expecting to go back. But then around 1:45a we noticed everyone was walking away from the Sphere, instead of walking towards it.

Like I get FP1 getting cancelled. I can look past that. Sometimes unexpected things happen. But running a delayed FP2, while kicking everyone out or not allowing them back in isn't as easily forgiven. We spent $1000 for 7min of racing. I flew into town for this (luckily my family lives here, so had a place to stay). I think total, with drinks, ubers, tickets, airplane tickets, it was like $1500. For 7min of FP1.

As FP2 was starting, we were on the public sidewalks after T12, so we did hear the cars -- could barely see since the fences were covered -- going by flat-out, which was incredible to hear. But that's not the experience we paid for.

I also understand the labor laws or contracts or whatever, to help protect the service workers. But FOM should've planned for that. Maybe if they didn't run the sessions so late, this wouldn't have turned out this way. They could've started FP1 at 6pm, when the sun was already below the horizon. Woulda looked just as good for TV imo.

I also felt bad for the drivers, teams, marshals, broadcasters...anyone who was out there. That was a long ass day. Colossal fuckup, to say the least.

Hosting an F1 race is sometimes thought to be good for your international image, but doing it like this just makes you look like a police state.

FIA is quick on fines against teams and drivers if rules/contracts are broken. Is there any possibility of fines against the Las Vegas track management or so?

@bwoah This weekend has been a joke so far

What a fucking shitshow. Can we just bring all the races to Europe so we won't have this? Holy fuck...

All we need now is for the race to suck. If that happens, maybe racing in Vegas is just cursed.