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LOS ANGELES - The farce surrounding a defective manhole cover at the Las Vegas Grand Prix almost three years ago is set to cost Formula One dearly after series owner Liberty Media agreed a settlement worth US$3 million, reported German news agency dpa, quoting US media late on Thursday.
The US company is offering the settlement to end a class action brought by angry spectators. Around 32,000 fans are eligible to file claims after first practice in 2023 was abandoned after just 19 minutes because of a defective cover.
F1 was returning to Las Vegas for the first time in decades and the controversy was a major embarrassment to the sport.
Liberty Media and Las Vegas Grand Prix organisers have not admitted any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. A final hearing is scheduled for November 4 at a US District Court in Nevada, it was announced on the sidelines of the Formula One race in Hungary.
After the 2023 incident, all manhole covers along the entire circuit including the Las Vegas Strip had to be removed and filled with sand and asphalt. Only after a delay of two and a half hours were the drivers able to complete the second practice session.
Formula One then offered merchandise vouchers to all those fans who had held tickets costing several hundred dollars for the opening day. But the plaintiff, a Las Vegas law firm, said the baffled spectators had not been offered a refund of the admission price. - BERNAMA