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F1 legend says there are too many races in USA and hits out at ‘glitzy’ Las Vegas
F1 legend says there are too many races in USA and hits out at 'glitzy' Las Vegas,With Las Vegas, Miami, and Austin all hosting Grand Prix's in the 2023 F1 campaign, one legend of the sport believes there are too many races taking place in the US

F1 legend says there are too many races in USA and hits out at ‘glitzy’ Las Vegas

Formula1 legend Gerhard Berger believes there are “too many” races in the United States.

The 2023 campaign features a record 24 races with three being hosted across the pond in the States. The Miami Grand Prix on May 7 will be the first to fly the flag for the stars and stripes, before it is followed by the US Grand Prix on October 22 and then the penultimate race of the championship in Las Vegas on November 18.

Berger may have to stomach even more races in the US as F1 supremo Stefano Domenicali recently refused to rule out a fourth Grand Prix. That would certainly be bad news for the Austrian who is yet to become enamored with any of the races, States’ side.

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“I have an issue with too many races – this will be the third or fourth in the US now,” Berger said, while talking on behalf of London Luxury Afloat. “Less is more, there’s too many in the USA.

“Vegas is too glitzy for me. Maybe I am old fashioned but I want to go to Spa, Monza, Budapest. I even want to go to Monaco but now that isn’t even glitzy anymore compared to what’s going on here.” With F1 teams covering up to 82,642 miles per season, the extra US races scattered about the calendar would seem to go against the F1 sustainability rules they put in place.

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The Las Vegas Grand Prix is everything you would expect it to be
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is everything you would expect it to be (Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Gerhad Berger is not the biggest fan of the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Gerhard Berger is not the biggest fan of the Las Vegas Grand Prix (Image: YouTube/SkySportsF1)

Part of their aims they are aiming to achieve by 2030 was to ensure each campaign and preparations have “ultra efficient and low/zero carbon logistics and travel”. However, Berger, who recorded two third place finishes while driving for Ferrari in 1998 and 1994, suggests this would be very difficult.

“There is no other sport that is able to do the miles that these people do,” he added. “It is not like turning up with a football team, they are arriving with mountains and mountains of gear and race cars.”

Berger recorded two third place finishes while driving for Ferrari
Berger recorded two third place finishes while driving for Ferrari (Image: Allsport)

When asked about the prospect of even more races being hosted in the US, F1 president Domenicali did not rule out the possibility of there being even more races in the US, as well as some in East Asia and even Africa. "There is a lot of interest in far East Asia, more interest in the US,” he said to Sky Sports.

"But in this moment, we have three [US races] which I think is the right number for the next couple of years. The most important thing is that every Grand Prix has to be different in terms of personality – we want to have the city living the event, that's the magic of Formula 1."

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