F1 is dangerously close to being labeled 'anti-American' in its prized new market

The 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP is going to be one massive event. The track looks underwhelming at best at first glance but when it comes to the first race in Vegas in a long time, there's going to be a lot going on.

However, more importantly, there is something brewing that F1 should be wary of and that is a rumbling discontent in the market they are trying so hard to capture.

In a report done by the American portal Jalopnik, the locals in Las Vegas are furious at the race organizers and a ground report is damning as well.

To add to this, further developments off-track and away from the glitz and glamour of the race have left F1 in a spot of bother. A spot where Formula 1 risks itself being viewed as 'anti-American' in a market it wants to capture badly.

The nuisance called 'F1 Las Vegas GP'

It's been a while since a new race has led to this much bad press. The race in Las Vegas is supposed to be a monumental moment for the sport. The strip is where the affluents of the affluent reside. Yet, the way F1 has decided to go about it has been very disruptive to the locals.

A report done by Jalopnik has been eye-opening with the negative sentiment about race palpable. The traffic situation has suffered adversely, local businesses are facing the heat and most importantly, the apathetic nature with which the organizers have gone about the race organization has been alarming.

In addition to all of this, prices have shot up astronomically for everything related to the race. The hotel prices are off the roof, and so are the tickets and any other thing that comes along with that.

From the outside, multiple reporters have claimed that the sentiment seems to be 'Formula 1 wants Vegas, not the other way around'.

What will be the overall impact of such an event in the economics is what remains to be seen because irrespective of what the spectacle is going to be on track, if the local population is so much against the event then the future of the Las Vegas GP will be under the scanner.

F1's muted reaction to General Motors announcement

Earlier in the season, the Ford-Red Bull association for 2026 was met with major fanfare by F1. The announcement was made in Miami and FOM president Stefano Domenicali made it a point to be there in the event.

General Motors has registered to be a power unit supplier for 2028 and we're yet to hear a single comment from Formula 1. Why? Because General Motors is hoping to power Andretti, a team that cleared the application process but faces resistance from teams on the grid.

One of the major reasons set forth why an Andretti entry to F1 is in the docks is because teams like Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, and others have argued that it doesn't bring the added value to the sport that merits an 11th grid slot.

With a major automotive giant backing the Andretti entry, this does change things. However, F1's reluctance to bring on board an 11th team, a team that would be as American as one team could get is starting to get pointed out.

It's almost giving the wrong message that even though a team clears every criterion to join F1, it would still face resistance. As an American, there would be many who would have resentment against the sport for not allowing a team from the land of the free to compete.

To add to this, the nuisance that the Las Vegas GP has started to become for the locals is not going to sit right with the Americans either. The United States of America is a massive nation but at the same time, it is a very porous nation where the sentiment travels quickly.

Formula 1 is dangerously close to being considered an 'anti-American' sport with its recent actions. It needs to be careful before it turns off a market it is working so hard to appease.