Formula 1 fans file lawsuit against Las Vegas Grand Prix

LAS VEGAS — Formula One fans upset at being forced to the leave the Las Vegas Grand Prix venue early Friday morning before the start of the second practice session filed a class-action lawsuit.

Las Vegas-based Dimopoulos Law Firm and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting filed the lawsuit against the Las Vegas Grand Prix and its owner, Liberty Media, in Nevada state court seeking at least $30,000 in damages.

“We cannot comment on the litigation,” the Las Vegas Grand Prix said in a statement. “Our focus is on ensuring that our fans have an entertaining experience in a safe and secure environment which is always our top priority.”

Those who bought tickets to race’s opening night saw just nine minutes of action Thursday night before Carlos Sainz Jr. ran over a water valve cover and damaged his Ferrari. Race officials inspected the course, which resulted in a 2 ½-hour delay for the second session, which began at 2:30 a.m. local time Friday. They also extended the practice session from an hour to 90 minutes.

Race officials have since offered a $200 discount at the official gift shop, but only for those who held single-night tickets Thursday. The majority of fans have three-day passes.

F1 President Stefano Domenicali and Renee Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, issued a statement Friday saying they closed the track to spectators for safety and legal reasons.

“We have all been to events, like concerts, games and even other Formula 1 races, that have been canceled because of factors like weather or technical issues,” the statement read. “It happens, and we hope people will understand.”