Fernando Alonso has criticised the Las Vegas Grand Prix, urging the FIA to revisit both the circuit’s asphalt and its position on the Formula 1 calendar.
The Aston Martin driver trailed home in a muted 13th after early damage derailed what had started as a promising run from seventh place on the grid.
Alonso said the Las Vegas Strip Circuit layout has the potential to host good races, but the surface itself left drivers struggling throughout the weekend.
“The race circuit is fun, because it’s high speed, but I think the type of asphalt is not Formula 1 standard,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“To be honest, it’s too slippery and we cannot put the tyres in temperature and there is no grip. It’s extremely bumpy, at the limit of being safe to race.”
The Spaniard wants the governing body to intervene before the event returns next season.
“So I think for the future we need to talk with the FIA if this is acceptable or not for the following years,” he added.
Alonso expands his criticism further
Alonso’s concerns extend beyond the track itself. The November night race opens a punishing run of three flyaways that close out the 24-round season.
With the F1 circus having to travel on to Qatar and then Abu Dhabi in consecutive race weekends, he claimed that the travel demands are too excessive.
“To come here with the time difference and how far it is from Europe and Brazil two weeks ago and we go to Qatar now straight and it’s a 17-hour plane and 13 hours’ time difference.
“I don’t think any other sport in the world will accept that,” he said. “So, I mean, circuit okay, asphalt and moment in the calendar, for me it’s not, yeah, borderline.”
F1 schedules Las Vegas during one of the city’s quietest tourist weekends, but Alonso questioned whether sporting priorities were being overshadowed.
Asked if a different date might work better, he didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, yeah, maybe,” he replied.
“I mean, I think I heard that we do it now because it’s the quiet weekend of the year for Vegas, but we cannot do things like that.
“If not, we will go to Monaco in February, because it’s quiet, you know, but there are certain things that we need to think about the sport first.”
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