LAS VEGAS — Formula One fans upset at being forced to leave the Las Vegas Grand Prix venue early Friday 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.

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 1/2-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 since have 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.”

Originally Published: Nov 18, 2023 at 8:36 pm