F1 Crisis
About this campaign
F1 is actually harming Las Vegas directly with its showpiece:
* Wasting millions of commuting hours for LV residents
* Turning off convention planners and tourists with construction that lasts from Sep-Dec on the strip. Killing tourist income and actually endangering the long-term viability of Las Vegas, if trends continue.
* Shutting down the actual LV strip for multiple days to turn it into a party for the rich, instead of a shared event for all who visit and live in Vegas (as most of Vegas was for decades)
* Handing our actual cash and tax breaks to a giant public company (instead of CHARGING it to use Las Vegas streets-paid for by the people of Las Vegas and visitors)
The whole management of F1 shows what is broken and backward in the city.
If F1 can't be fixed to serve the city, it will be a harbinger of many other decisions being made at the people at the top that will harm our city over time.
Yuck to Yum
Yuck
Public subsidies for a billionaire's event: $37-40M requested from Clark County, $20M approved from LVCVA, net taxpayer loss of $463K on the first race alone after 17,000+ hours of county staff time.
Devastating small business impacts: Businesses losing millions ($4M, $3.4M, $23M combined) from months of road closures, blocked driveways, and destroyed foot traffic — while F1 generates billions.
Fan mistreatment: 35,000 ticket holders ejected at 1:30 AM after a drain cover F1 failed to secure destroyed a car. Offered only $200 merchandise vouchers.
Months of road disruption annually: Construction begins 6+ months before each race. Strip repaving, bridge installation, lighting, grandstands — affecting residents and businesses year-round.
Workers punished: Casino employees face doubled or tripled commute times. Service workers bear the cost of disruptions with no compensation.
Want
Fair compensation for affected businesses — real financial remediation, not token settlements, for businesses losing millions.
Transparent public accounting — full disclosure of all public costs vs. actual (not projected) economic benefits.
Meaningful community input — residents and small businesses having a voice in race planning, route decisions, and mitigation.
No public subsidies for private profit — Liberty Media (market cap ~$15B) should fund its own infrastructure without taxpayer money.
Minimized disruption windows — condensing construction/closure periods rather than spreading disruption over 6+ months.
Yum
Net positive for ALL residents and businesses, not just Strip megaresorts and Liberty Media.
Zero public subsidy model: F1 fully funds all infrastructure, road work, and mitigation costs.
Robust business disruption fund: Pre-funded, independent compensation program with streamlined claims.
Community benefit agreement: Binding commitment to invest race revenue into local infrastructure, housing, or services.
Transparent economic reporting: Independent (not industry-funded) economic impact studies published annually.
In the Way
Liberty Media's unprecedented dual role: As both F1 owner and race promoter, they face no local counterweight advocate.
10-year Clark County authorization already approved through 2032, reducing leverage for renegotiation.
LVCVA and tourism industry alignment: Tourism authorities see F1 as a marquee draw and are incentivized to fund it.
Political capture: Commissioners publicly celebrate the race ("anticipate a lifetime in partnership") rather than scrutinizing costs.
Legal power imbalance: Small businesses face a global corporation with vast legal resources; most settlements are confidential.
No organized opposition infrastructure: Individual businesses file separate lawsuits rather than a unified community coalition.
What You Need to Know
Summary
"F1 PTSD": Local Business Owners Fight Back Against Liberty Media
After losing their livelihoods to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, local business owners aren't staying quiet. They're suing, petitioning, and demanding accountability from the billionaires who destroyed their businesses.
Read the full story →Key Articles (3)
The $30 Million Destruction: How F1 Wiped Out Local Businesses
How the Grand Prix construction destroyed foot traffic and revenue for Strip-adjacent businesses.
The F1 Settlements: Buying Silence from the People They Hurt
An investigation into confidential settlement deals and what they mean for accountability.
F1 Economics: Who Really Benefits from the Grand Prix?
Breaking down the $1.5 billion economic impact claim and who actually sees the money.
Key Facts (6)
Submit a Field Report
Seen something related to this issue? Report it here. Ryan will review and add it to the campaign.