The recent controversy around the Las Vegas Grand Prix has spread like wildfire. Following an incomplete inspection of the track before the race, the track proved to be an unfit treading ground for the drivers. FIA officials quickly addressed this and suspended the first practice session of the race on Friday, but it looks like the damage is done.

A certain part of the NASCAR community has subtly taken this opportunity to its fellow motorsport, and the ever-playful Ryan Blaney has joined the conversation. The two drivers that sparked the comparisons were Blaney’s best buddy, Bubba Wallace, and his soon-to-be brother-in-law, William Byron. While Bubba expressed shock and frustration over the blunder at such a big event, Byron seemingly compared Formula 1 and NASCAR with a well-planned tweet.

Ryan Blaney ridicules FIA over Las Vegas Grand Prix mistakes

During the first practice session in Las Vegas within twenty minutes of it starting, Carlos Sainz‘s Ferrari threw light on the dangerously prepared track, which damaged his car extensively. Sainz’s Ferrari hit a bump at an uncovered manhole. The drain cover rose from the track to hit the bottom of the Ferrari, giving it such a big trajectory shift that he was forced to stop.

Sainz’s unfortunate incident occurred on the backstretch Vegas strip, triggering an immediate caution flag. Looking at the turn of events from afar, Ryan Blaney tweeted,

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“I thought Pocono frontstretch was long, but the F1 Vegas “backstretch” or sector 3, is absolutely insane. Could have dinner AND dessert.”

The Las Vegas Strip was not closed to the public until the night before the race. The continuous traffic made it difficult for the inspection team to provide a complete risk analysis of the track.

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Barring Carlos Sainz, Zhou Guanyu, and Esteban Ocon also suffered great damage to their respective cars. While glaring blunders of this magnitude have been rare in Formula 1, William Byron might believe that NASCAR has the upper hand in preparing racetracks.

Las Vegas GP officials to engage in a lawsuit over their incompetence

The unwanted incident between Carlos Sainz and the drain cover suspended the race for more than five hours. Track officials also used this time to fill up the holes with sand and asphalt to compensate for their ignorance. However, the fans have yet to be entertained by it. Instead, officials have offered $200 ticket vouchers to fans with a single-day ticket. However, the fans with passes for the entire three-day event were not happy with the compensation, as they were rebuked for the offer.

A track official revealed the situation behind the scenes and iterated that the lawsuit was of secondary concern. He disclosed, “We cannot comment on the litigation. Our focus is on ensuring that our fans have an entertaining experience in a safe and secure environment, which is always our top priority.”

Speaking to Reuters, the leader of the lawsuit on Formula 1 owner and LVGP officials, Steve Dimopolous, commented on the issue, saying, “A lot of fans probably don’t even want that; they want their money back. There are also peripheral issues of what about the people that came in from out of town and paid for substantial airfare and hotels.”

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While the concern has been reasonable and many fans have also invested in the cause, for Formula 1 authorities, the situation is concerning. The Las Vegas GP’s reputation will take a big hit, especially after a lackluster display in its inaugural edition last year. As for NASCAR, when it comes to track maintenance, NASCAR might have the edge here.