Overall, the Saudi Pro league has invested almost a billion into world class football players with help from the Saudi government in the bid to boost tourism and increase the country's external income and they aren't stopping yet.
By James Farrell The Las Vegas Grand Prix: A Car Crash or Economic Triumph? Approximately two months on we look back at the lead up, adventure and aftermath of the Las Vegas Grand Prix with all its controversy, but also at what it did for the entertainment capital of the world. Lead up. In the build-up to the clash of Formula One’s pure European track car racing and the American show business of Las Vegas things were not looking positive. Locals and fans became furious at the event, criticizing Formula One while calling it a ‘cash grab’ as ticket prices varied from $1,500 for 3 day passes to $5million for the ultimate experience with hotels included.
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The main controversy around the Also, while suggesting fans just wanted to prices is that the average cost of a get "s***-faced". 3-day pass to all the F1 races on the 2023 calendar is $445, without the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and $500, including the Las Vegas Grand Prix. As seen in the graph the Las Vegas tickets were outrageously more expensive than others priced $500 above the next highest. Lights Out At the same time residents became increasingly disgruntled by the traffic the construction caused and that wasn't the end of its disruptions.
After all the backlash surrounding the race, it had a lot to prove but it didn’t get off to the best of starts… In the weekend's first practice disaster struck as Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari got the bottom ripped off it as a manhole cover on one of the roads of the Bridges were blocked causing half track came loose and came up ruining the an hour to be added on to the first session within just eight minutes. simplest of commutes, footbridges constructed had deliberate screens It took five hours to fix as they had to check to block visibility, so no every other manhole cover on the track. It construction of the track was seen, cost Carlos Sainz a penalty due to having to and trees were even ripped out of replace the ground for the constructions of parts of stands. It’s safe to say Formula One his car. had its own interest at heart. It meant Although hotels, casinos and that for restaurants located around the track the in places such as the world-famous second Las Vegas strip looked to prosper practice stands were empty. Fans had been from the event greatly they weren't told that it was unsafe to be around the track out of the firing range of who and then were not allowed back. Fans that would be negatively affected. had paid extortionate prices for even a day Formula One looked to charge the pass were scammed out of what was businesses that had undisturbed rightfully theirs as part of what they paid for views of the track, such as Planet their tickets. Formula One insultingly Hollywood, $1,500 per head that offered only £160 of merch vouchers for entered their premises over the 3 single day passes and offered nothing to days. That would have cost the those who paid for three-day passes. A class larger hospitality providers action lawsuit has been filed aiming to get approximately $1.5 million per fans what they deserve in compensation, but day. Eventually, this was lowered it may take time for us to see an outcome. to $50,000 per venue which would hopefully allow these businesses to Contrary to the abysmal lead up and start to earn a profit over the 3 days. the weekend the Las Vegas grand prix has been argued by fans to be one of the best of Lastly, in the build-up drivers the 2023 season. It featured countless decided to share their views on the overtakes that were beautifully executed, biggest sporting event of the year. unexpected drivers had near perfect One of them, Max performances and there weren't any Verstappen (2021, 2022, 2023 unprecedented stoppages such as in driver’s world champion), practice. compared the Las Vegas Grand Prix to the lowest English football League saying: “I think Monaco is like the Champions League, this is the National League”. 6
