FORMULA ONE
Laps and naps – sleepy F1 drivers demand change to Las Vegas timings
The 10pm start meant half of the United States was asleep for the race, while the 4am finish to qualifying left some drivers feeling ‘delirious’
Las Vegas put on a show on the streets last weekend, with plenty of entertainment and controversy
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Formula 1 drivers have requested that the timings of the Las Vegas Grand Prix be amended for next year. Not only the start times of qualifying and the race itself, but also where it falls in the calendar.
The race was held at 10pm local time on Saturday, which worked well for the casinos, with their support essential if the circuit was to include the famous Strip. But the timing meant that half of the United States — a key market that F1 is trying to break into — was potentially asleep, with the race starting at 1am in New York. In Europe, it was not much better, with a 6am start on Sunday in the UK. The other night races of Singapore, Saudi Arabia
