Glitz, glamour and, of course, the many luxurious casinos: that's Las Vegas! Next weekend,
Formula 1 will join them. 20 drivers will race down the legendary Strip, in what should be a huge spectacle - at least that is what
F1 hopes. Plenty of fans will seek out the slots or blackjack tables after the racing sessions. But that is not going to apply to
Mercedes' staff.
Toto Wolff has expressly forbidden his people from gambling during the Grand Prix weekend, he let the Spanish version of
Motorsport.com know. The Austrian billionaire himself does not gamble, and his team members must not lose their focus in Las Vegas either: namely, preparing
Lewis Hamilton's and
George Russell's cars as well as possible for the race.
Toto Wolff's first time
Incidentally, it will be Wolff's first-ever visit to Las Vegas. The Mercedes team boss expects the same to be true for much of the rest of the people in the paddock. So enjoying the nightlife will not be Wolff's cup of tea, for that, he will undoubtedly have to come back another time.
The only gamble for Mercedes is going to be whether their car in Las Vegas performs like it did in Austin (during the US Grand Prix) or if it is more like Brazil. Last race, the German team had a totally off-weekend, resulting in only an eighth-place finish for Lewis Hamilton.