“It has nothing to do with Formula 1”: F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is not looking forward to the highly anticipated Las Vegas GP

F1 returns to the United States this weekend for the inaugural Las Vegas GP, which has created plenty of buzz around the globe. However, it has failed to captivate the interest of the former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

While everyone is eagerly awaiting F1 drivers to blast down the strip, Ecclestone is not interested in the event. The 93-year-old took a savage jibe at the organizers of the event as he stated the Grand Prix in the entertainment capital had nothing to do with the sport. Ecclestone told NOS:

“I’m not really looking forward to it. Why not? It has nothing to do with Formula 1”

It is not the first time F1 will be racing in Las Vegas, as Bernie Ecclestone himself orchestrated its previous two visits during his reign in the early 1980s.

The Caesars Palace Grand Prix was held in 1981-82, on a temporary circuit built in the car park of the same hotel. The track layout and the searing heat of the desert made it an unpopular event amongst drivers and fans alike.

Following F1's withdrawal from the event, it has taken four decades for the Las Vegas GP to materialize into reality. It has come after Ecclestone was ousted by the new owners of the sport Liberty Media, which has personally invested in the event.

While the Brit remains unconcerned with the developments of the Las Vegas GP, he is happy with the growth of the sport over the last few years. He takes pride in introducing the sport to new markets, where it continues to race to date.

“I am happy that the sport continues to develop around the world,” he said. “I am the one who brought Formula 1 out of Europe and to the rest of the world. We are competing for a World Championship, not a European Championship. It is good that that remains the case.”

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F1 pundit pinpoints the difference between Red Bull and the rest of the grid

Brazilian GP

Red Bull has won 19 of the 20 races this season, with RB19 one of the most dominant cars ever built in F1. While many have argued that the team is in its own league this season, Tom Clarkson has a different opinion.

Clarkson argued that the RB19 has been consistent across the board on different tracks, while the performance of the rest of the teams is heavily influenced by the track characteristics. He said on the F1 Nation podcast:

“I think, in a nutshell, what we’ve seen from Mercedes actually explains the difference between Red Bull and the entire grid. I don’t believe that, at any point - maybe Suzuka - that Red Bull have been miles ahead of the opposition”

“They’ve just been more consistent. That RB19 has performed at every race track whereas everyone else has been up and down like a yo-yo.”

The second half of the season has provided promising signs of different teams closing the gap to Max Verstappen's Red Bull.