Las Vegas GP Inspired Saudi Arabian Prince to Make Radical Change to F1 Race

Every facet of life has two sides, a positive and a negative. This applies to Formula 1 as well and we have a prime example to prove it to you. For this, we need you to recall all the backlash, the negative press, and the criticism the Las Vegas Grand Prix received throughout its build-up. The race in Vegas divided the opinion of everyone in the world of Formula 1. For the onlookers, however, the race presented a unique perspective on a weekend that the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has adopted to bring a radical change to the 2024 edition’s weekend. We’re talking about the Saturday night race.

Now, for the unversed, the race in Jeddah will follow the same schedule as the Bahrain Grand Prix. The weekend is pushed a day early and the race is conducted on Saturday night. The president of the Car and Motorcycle Federation in Saudi Arabia, Prince Khaled bin Sultan Al Faisal, made this scheduling change possible with their request to accommodate for Ramadan, which starts on 10th March. However, the idea came from the first-ever Saturday night race even in Vegas last year.

In an exclusive with Gazzetta, when asked what gave him the Saturday night race idea, the Prince confessed it was the Vegas GP. “The idea actually came to us last year from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which took place on a Saturday. So when the 2024 calendar took shape,” says Prince Khaled bin Sultan Al Faisal. “We put forward the proposal. We wanted people to be able to have fun, distract themselves, and prepare for the period of abstinence on the day before. We discussed it with the organization and put forward the proposal and consequently, given that it is mandatory to leave a week between one race and another, the Bahrain GP was also held on Saturday.” (Translated via Google)

Read More: Las Vegas GP Confirmed as Huge Failure for USA as Gloomy Viewership Data Surfaces

So now we know Bahrain GP’s first-ever Saturday night race was a knock-on effect of the Saudi Arabian GP’s request. However, there was a possibility that the Prince would’ve not witnessed a Saturday night race despite its suggestion thanks to the FIA president.

How Mohammed Ben Sulayem tried to roadblock the Las Vegas GP

The Las Vegas GP became highly contentious for a host of reasons but it all boiled over during the FP1 session when a drain cover came loose and shattered Carlos Sainzs‘ SF-24’s floor. This was a genuine safety hazard which is why every track needs an FIA certification before it is deemed fit for racing.

The Las Vegas Street Circuit did get the FIA approval. However, an FIA spokesperson came forth and revealed, for reasons unknown, that Mohammed Ben Sulayem wanted to block and delay the circuit certification.

He said, “From a sporting and safety perspective, the Las Vegas circuit approval followed FIA protocol in terms of inspection and certification. If you recall, there was a delay in the track being made available for inspection due to ongoing local organizer construction works.” The report further suggested that the manager contacted the said person, “Who on behest of the FIA president instructed him to find some concerns to prevent the FIA from certifying the circuit before the weekend of the race”.

He added, “The purpose was to find fault with the track in order to withhold the license. Asked to be more specific, [the whistleblower] said, “That issues on the circuit were meant to be artificially identified regardless of their actual existence, with the ultimate goal of withholding the license.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Rich History of F1 races in Las Vegas Throughout the Years

The controversies around the president keep on coming. However, let’s just be grateful we got to witness the Las Vegas GP and because of it, we already have had two more Saturday night races.