A Nevada law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix on behalf of fans who were kicked out of Thursday’s disrupted practice sessions.
Opening practice was cancelled after just eight minutes after Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz struck a loose manhole cover, throwing F1’s newest race into chaos and causing heavy delays to the schedule.
After seeing fewer than 10 minutes of green flag action and waiting nearly five hours for second practice to get underway, spectators were removed from the grandstands before the session started.
Organisers stated the decision to clear fans out was a necessary safety precaution.
Fans have not been refunded or received an apology, with the only compensation coming in the form of a $200 voucher to spend at the venue’s merchandise sites for single-day ticket holders.
The Dimopoulos law firm working in conjunction with JK Legal & Consulting named F1 owners and race promoters Liberty Media Corporation, DBA Formula One Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix and TAB Contractors Inc as defendants.
It is seeking payments of “in excess” of $30,000 per spectator, split equally between “general” and “special” damages, according to Motorsport.com.
Dimopoulos says 35,000 spectators attended the track on Thursday.
“There are a number of issues with that [compensation],” Steve Dimopoulos told Reuters. “Clearly that [$200 merchandise voucher] is not a refund that is sufficient.
“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.”
A spokesperson for the LVGP said: “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.”
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