Fans were forced to miss nearly all of the first two practice sessions on Thursday, leading to the filing of a class action lawsuit against Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
In the opening race, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari hit a loose drain cover on the track and had to leave after nine minutes.
The second session’s start was then postponed from the scheduled midnight start to 2.30 am as organizers worked to fix the cover and check others on the track.
After fans were ejected from the venue because venue staff had finished their legal workday, the extended second practice was held in front of empty stands.
Fans who purchased single session tickets for Thursday at F1 and Las Vegas Grand Prix received$ 200 in merchandise vouchers, but those who attended as part of multi-day packages were not eligible for these rewards.
The lawsuit was filed in Nevada District Court on Friday by the Dimopoulos Law Firm and associate attorney JK Legal & Consulting.
In the lawsuit, which seeks compensatory and general damages, five people were named as plaintiffs.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported by Dimopoulos Law Firm owner and lead attorney Steve Dimpoullos that” we will defend the rights of the fans who traveled great distances and paid small fortunes to attend, but were denied the experience.”
AFP contacted an F1 spokesman who confirmed the class action but declined to add any additional details.
According to a Las Vegas Grand Prix spokesperson,” Our top priority is to make sure that our fans enjoy their time while being safe and secure.”