Verstappen’s critical rant about F1 Las Vegas GP: ‘Drivers look like clowns'

F1 celebrated its first race in Las Vegas since 1982 with a lavish opening ceremony which featured appearances from all 20 drivers, as well as performances from big-name music artists. 

But three-time world champion Verstappen was not impressed by the pre-race event and said the drivers ‘looked like clowns’. 

"For me, you can skip this. We are just standing up there, looking like a clown,” Verstappen said, referring to the drivers being presented to the crowd on raised platforms along the main straight. 

Verstappen added: “I don’t like all the things around it. I’m looking forward to trying to do the best I can but I’m not looking forward to this.”

Asked if he would share his opinions on the race with F1, the Dutchman replied: "I don't know, I guess they still make money if I like it or not, so it's not up to me!

"But I'm also not going to fake it, I just always voice my opinion on positive things and negative things. That's just how I am.

"Some people like the show a bit more, I don't like it at all. I grew up just looking at the performance side of things and that's how I see it as well. So for me, I like to be in Vegas, but not so much for racing.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris echoed a similar view to Verstappen, calling F1 “definitely more of a show now than what it was a few years ago.

“To be honest I just want to come here and drive and race, I’ve never been the biggest fan of doing these types of things like we did earlier. 

“It’s not what I enjoy doing. I know a lot of this stuff is just part of it and I’m not saying anything against it. 

“But I do this job because I want to come and drive and race cars. I don’t simply enjoy doing these kinds of big events and shows and things like that. 

“But it's part of the job and it’s a business and that’s how it has to run at the end of the day.”

And Verstappen had nothing positive to say about the brand-new street circuit either. 

"There's not many corners to be honest... I don't know," he said. "It also will depend a bit probably on how grippy it is. Doesn't look like it has a lot of grip, but we'll go with the flow.

"I don't think it's that exciting, that's the only thing. I think already for me a street circuit is not that exciting, especially with these new cars, they are just too heavy.

"When you have low grip that doesn't help. The scenery will look great, driving through the strip, but the layout itself is not the most exciting.

"Driving an F1 car is a lot more fun with a lot of high-speed corners, but around here there is not many high-speed corners.”