“I’ve had better tracks in my life”- Max Verstappen's deadpan dismissal of the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP track layout

Max Verstappen has left no stone unturned in expressing his dislike for the Las Vegas GP street circuit. Describing his first impressions of the track after FP2, the Dutchman remained unimpressed with his car performance as he finished outside the top five.

The dominant reigning champion has always had a dislike towards street circuits and deemed them unsuitable for modern F1 cars. Finishing sixth in the FP2 session, Max Verstappen wasn’t able to fare any better in the third practice session the following day either.

The Dutchman finished FP3 as the fourth fastest while his Ferrari rival, Charles Leclerc, topped both sessions. Asked about his views on the circuit and whether he liked driving in Las Vegas, Max Verstappen told media outlets including Sportskeeda:

“No, no. I’ve had better tracks in my life. I mean, I already said that yesterday, there’s nothing new that I discovered or whatever. But yeah, we just get on with it.”

Describing his performance in the session, the three-time World Champion added:

"I think the soft over one lap of course is good, long run was a bit more difficult – seemed like the soft tyre was struggling quite a lot out there. So we very quickly went onto the medium, but it seems like even the medium is not a straightforward tyre as well in the long run.

"So still a bit of things that we have to look into, you know, to see how we can improve our deg in the long run. I think we still look very good compared to others as well but I feel like maybe we can still do a better job. So yeah, not straightforward to pick your tyres I think for the race."

Confident of his race pace for Sunday, Max Verstappen felt his team were better off than most of the other teams. However, when it came to qualifying, the Red Bull RB19 did not seem as agile as the Ferrari when it came to managing their one-lap pace. The car tends to struggle in low grip conditions and cooler weather as seen with Baku earlier in the year.

Similar to his words on Thursday, Max Verstappen insisted he has driven on better circuits and was not delighted to drive in Las Vegas. He mentioned that he enjoyed Sin City, without having to drive in it. Often vocal in performance-related matters and all things trackside, the Dutchman had expressed his skepticism on the desert street circuit’s ability to produce good racing.

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Max Verstappen manager and team boss defend his statements on Las Vegas

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner explained that Max Verstappen is not a fan of the hype and showbiz of F1, after the driver's statements about the Las Vegas race.

The Briton feels the Dutchman is one of the drivers who is purely focused on racing and not the glitter and glamor that comes with it. Manager Raymond Vermeulen felt the long season has exhausted the 26-year-old who has had an extensive routine of marketing and PR activities that will continue until Christmas.

Speaking to Via Play about the lack of praise from Max Verstappen towards the glitterati of the Las Vegas race, Horner said (Grandprix.com):

"He hates all the pomp and hype. He just wants to drive a racing car. He doesn't care about the fame and everything that comes with it. All these show business elements here just make him uncomfortable."

Speaking to the Dutch newspaper Telegraaf, Vermeulen added:

"Max is pure, true to himself and he just says what he thinks. Remember, these are still drivers, not actors. Max just feels very uncomfortable with all of this. And I also think that a lot of people - perhaps not everyone - appreciate his down-to-earth nature.

"I notice that Max's batteries are almost empty. And not just him but many people in the team. All the travelling and the time differences have an impact."

Describing the schedule of Max Verstappen over the next few days, Vermeulen said:

"We come home on Monday and then another PR day awaits in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday in the run-up to the last race. After the race there will be trips to Tokyo for Honda, Amsterdam with Heineken, the FIA awards ceremony in Baku and an event with Red Bull in England.

"Then it's almost Christmas and on January 15 his trainer will be at the door again. That's not easy for a 26 year old boy. It is true that he earns a lot of money from it, but it is not just about money."

After the opening ceremony on Wednesday, Max Verstappen mentioned feeling like a clown waving at the crowds on stage. He added that he wasn't a fan of the showmanship surrounding the race and was more focused on the performance side of things.

The Dutchman has won 17 races in 2023 so far and also recorded 10 consecutive wins earlier this season — the highest in F1 history. In doing so, he broke his own record for most wins in an F1 season, having won 15 times last year.