Mick Akers: Las Vegas sportswriter on the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

The precipitation appears to be in the rear view mirror for this afternoon's Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix.

It comes after Liam Lawson had to overcome the rain during qualifying, staying composed to start sixth on the grid. 

Las Vegas sportswriter Mick Akers joined Piney to discuss.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talks edb.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yim Lawson showed his class in a wet and wild
qualifying session for Formula one's Las Vegas Groan Prix. He'll
start sixth on the grid. It's laws in second top
ten start in succession qualifying and finishing seventh in Brazil
earlier this month. Let's bring in journalist with the Las
Vegas Review Journal, Mick Aikers Make. How treacherous were conditions

(00:35):
during qualifying?

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah, you know early on and yeah, it looked like
the rain wasn't gonna kind of last throughout the night.
But somehow, some way, the radar got defied and it
started pouring, you know, missic into the last few minutes
of qualifying, because you can visibly see the water flying
up on the starting grade, and they kept coming by
and qualifying.

Speaker 4 (00:55):
He saw slideouts.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
It was pretty treacherous, but I think the crowd ticket, well,
the grandstands were filled up. They're out there having fun, so,
you know, despite their reign, it's really it's not unusual occurrence.
I heard in November in Las Vegas, so it's little
an anomaly.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
I would say, but you know, people took it in.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
The drivers obviously did what they could, but kind of
provide a little bit more you know, excitement for the race.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
I think indeed, how much impact did it have on
qualifying order for the Rice.

Speaker 4 (01:24):
Well, didn't really delay anything. You know.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
Obviously they have all their sets of tires that deal
with different whether and all that, so they brought out
some of the wats at first.

Speaker 4 (01:33):
Seems like towards the end they kind of went to
the intermediate.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
So as far as like any of the time or anything,
everything's pretty much stayed true to form.

Speaker 4 (01:40):
So no real impact there.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Okay, so as you say, we kind of always trust
the way the forecast. But is it bita for Rice
Die today?

Speaker 4 (01:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
I'm out here at the Belasio Fountain Club on the
Strip looking up at the sky. I can see the
sun poking through. So that's the first time we seen
that in two days. So things are kind of getting
dried up right now. We've seen you know a lot
of traffic on the strip right now. Obviously in a
few hours are gonna shut it down for the you know,
some of the academy stuff to get underway, and then
of the you know, drives get out there and the
race start here. But yeah, sun's starting to come out,

(02:11):
so you know, things are getting dry, and you know,
like you said, you can't always trust it, but hey,
cross the fingers.

Speaker 4 (02:16):
I think it's gonna be a pretty good night.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
All right. We'll look forward to that third time. If
one has been held in Vegas, how popular is the
event there?

Speaker 4 (02:24):
Yeah, so it's growing.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
The first year there was like nine months of roadwork
that led up to it, so it kind of angered
a lot of the locals, right, so they didn't really
know what that one was. So the second year, those
a lot less road construction assist the set up time
and tear down time, and same for this year. So
they've been that one's been really good at getting out
in the community. They've been trying to do a lot
of community benefit things, giving out tickets like teachers and

(02:47):
other people doing good things in the.

Speaker 4 (02:50):
Charitable world here.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
So they're kind of been putting the planning, the seed
to make it more of an accepted a bit here
in Las Vegas, and I think it's kind of paying
off for them.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
So Orlando Norris is on poul for a third strike. Rice,
see is he favorate. Can he put the Driver's Champampionship,
you know, pretty much had to reach this week. Can't
have a Land of Norris looking qualifying.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
Yeah, you know, obviously he was.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
It was kind of back and forth, and then it
was the last second where his last lap around he
took over the poll. So one of the exciting aspects
about the range is that he kind of put it
all on the line at the last lap there and
he came close to hitting the wall. So he took
that chance and it paid off for him. He's definitely
favorite here in the sports books. Obviously, I don't think
he could fully put it away, and so you know,

(03:34):
everyone behind him crashes, his teammate crashes and all that,
but I think he can set him stuff up for
a success with a good run here.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Tell us about this track and opportunities for posting on
this track where er bit of energy in the background,
there was passing the opportunity.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yeah, this one tends to have the more the more,
the most overtakes on the season, So there's tons of
chances for overtakes, which makes this one of the most
exciting UH race is on the season. We got them
one quarter mile along stress on the Las Vegas Strip itself,
a lot of turns after that, but yeah, this one
is definitely there's ample opportunity for overtakes here.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
And now Man at KWI Man Liam Lulson, I'm sixth
in qualifying. What have you mind of his performances over
the weekend?

Speaker 4 (04:25):
Yeah, you know he could.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
You know, he's kind of an underdog, right, so a
lot of people in the crowd are have been pretty
excited about the way he's been performing, especially last night.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
They saw, you know, it's kind of up.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
There on the grid at first when they're in Q three,
so a lot of people are kind of getting behind him.
So that's kind of cool to see. So see how
that kind of carries over into tonight's race.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
All right, And just for clarity, uh, make what time
local time does the race get under? Why it's five
o'clock over here in New Zealand, Thomas, That eight o'clock
a not for you.

Speaker 3 (04:53):
Eight pm, so you know, two hours early in the
last year, which was ten, So obviously we're gonna we're
gonna end it before men at our time.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
They kind of work with the people, They took a
lot of feedback from the past attendees saying, hey, we
wanted to end a little bit earlier. Obviously they do
it at night for the lights in Vegas and also
for the overseas audience on TV. But I think in
and out ten is gonna be a great way to
kind of, you know, kick this race off, you know,
get the finishers there, and then people can get back
out in the strip and enjoy the casinos, are dining

(05:22):
in the clubs and all that kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, plenty to enjoy in Vegas, that's for sure. Hey Mack,
thanks for your Tom mickak is from the Las Vegas
Review Journal. The Las Vegas Grand Prix starts at five
o'clock this afternoon. New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
Time for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen
live to news Talks it'd be weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.