FILE – General view of Sfera during F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying. REUTERS/Mike Blake
LAS VEGAS– During the troubled Formula One Grand Prix in Las Vegas, a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of 35,000 people who bought tickets for Thursday’s practice session, which was canceled because Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari was damaged by a loose trigger guard.
The highly anticipated first action on the neon-lit track, which includes a stretch along the famous Las Vegas Strip, lasted just over eight minutes before coming to a halt.
There was then a five-and-a-half-hour break while crews removed all 30 covers along the 5.8-mile system and filled the holes with sand and asphalt.
The second 90-minute training session began in front of empty stands at 2:30 a.m. Friday morning, long after fans had been asked to leave in a move that officials said was a necessary precaution.
Las Vegas Grand Prix officials attempted to control the damage by offering single-day ticket holders $200 gift certificates.
The compensation did not apply to people who purchased three-day passes.
Law firm Dimopoulos and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting said they filed a class action lawsuit against the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix (LVGP) in a Nevada state court on Friday on behalf of people who purchased test run tickets.
The lawsuit names Formula One owners and race promoters Liberty Media Corporation, DBA Formula One Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix and TAB Contractors Inc. as defendants.
“There are a lot of issues with it (salary),” Steve Dimopoulos told Reuters in a telephone interview on Saturday. “Without a doubt, this refund (a $200 merchandise voucher) is not sufficient.
“A lot of fans probably don’t even want that, they want their money back.
“There are also peripheral issues regarding people who came from out of town and paid for a significant airfare and hotel.”
The decision to send fans home was made out of concern for public safety and long-time security officers, LVGP CEO Renee Wilm and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said in a joint statement.
Qualifying took place on Friday and ended without any incidents.
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Formula One did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
