Following the prohibition of three colors from being displayed on the enormous LED ball while Formula 1 cars are on the track, George Russell and Max Verstappen came to the conclusion that the Las Vegas Sphere could be a distraction for racers around The Strip Circuit.
The Sphere has quickly become an icon of Las Vegas, with plenty of social-media-worthy moments displayed, and U2 taking up a popular residency there.
That residency has been suspended for the duration of the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend as F1 agreed to control the Sphere but red, yellow and blue have all been banned from display, while Verstappen admitted he struggle seeing himself on-screen.
“No, that definitely is a distraction for me, I might end in the wall so let’s not do that,” Verstappen told the press. “I hope they put something nice on it.”
Even though qualifying and race two get underway at midnight local time, and rain is predicted for the latter, Verstappen stated he doesn’t care to stay focused on the track even if the postponed sessions mean even later nights. He said, “Same for everyone, right? I don’t give it a lot of thought.
Russell: F1 entering unknown territory
Russell added he was excited to see what the grand prix weekend held for F1 entering unknown territory, and hailed the safety move regarding the sphere.
The three colours have been banned to prevent drivers mistaking it for a flag or flag board, a move Russell hailed as he looks to bounce back from retiring last time out in Brazil.
“It’s going to be fascinating,” Russell continued. LED lights are frequently present all around us, but not always in such a noticeable way.
“And to be honest, it’s a pretty spectacular building. I understand why those three colors have been banned.” Given the size of that, I believe I would back off if I saw a large red ball there, believing it to be a warning sign. However, I believe that the fact that there are so many of them makes this race exciting. We’re not going to be traveling in complete circles with bits and pieces.
