Las Vegas GP hit with lawsuit after practice delays،
The troubled Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix has been the subject of a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the 35,000 people who bought tickets for Thursday’s practice session which was canceled when Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was damaged by a loose drain cover.
The much-anticipated first action on the neon-lit circuit, which includes a section along the famous Las Vegas Strip, lasted just over eight minutes before stopping.
What followed was a 5 1/2 hour break while crews removed all 30 covers along the 3.8-mile route and filled the holes with sand and asphalt.
A second 90-minute practice session began in front of empty stands at 2:30 a.m. Friday morning, long after fans had been evacuated, a move officials said was a necessary safety measure.
Officials at the Las Vegas Grand Prix attempted to limit the damage by offering $200 merchandise vouchers to one-day ticket holders.
Compensation did not extend to those who purchased three-day passes.
The Dimopoulos Law Firm and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting said they filed a Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix (LVGP) class action lawsuit in Nevada state court on Friday, on behalf of the individuals who purchased tickets for the training session.
The lawsuit named as defendants Formula One racing owners and promoters Liberty Media Corporation, DBA Formula One Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix and TAB Contractors Inc.
“There are a number of problems with this [compensation]”Steve Dimopoulos told Reuters in a telephone interview on Saturday. “It’s clear that [$200 merchandise voucher] is not a sufficient reimbursement.
“A lot of fans probably don’t even want that; they want their money back.
“There are also peripheral issues regarding people coming from out of town who have paid for major plane tickets and hotels.”
The decision to send fans home was made out of concern for public safety and long-serving security officials, LVGP CEO Renee Wilm and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said. in a joint press release.
Qualifying took place on Friday and passed without incident.
A Las Vegas Grand Prix spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on the dispute. Our goal is to ensure our fans have an entertaining experience in a safe and secure environment, which is always our top priority.”
