Formula 1 parent company settles Las Vegas Grand Prix ticket lawsuit

Liberty Media agreed to a settlement of about $3 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit over tickets to the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The deal still requires court approval. The payment is aimed at refunding some ticket holders who were asked to leave before the delayed session.

The dispute traces back to the inaugural race weekend on the Las Vegas Strip, when the opening-night practice session on Nov. 16, 2023, was halted after nine minutes because of a loose water valve cover on the track. That stoppage fueled complaints from spectators who said the experience did not match the premium pricing attached to Formula 1’s newest American showcase.

The lawsuit was brought by spectators from that first Las Vegas Grand Prix, one of the most ambitious events in Formula 1’s U.S. expansion. Some descriptions of the settlement put the fund at $3.05 million, but the central figure in the deal was about $3 million. Liberty Media, which is Formula 1’s parent company and also promotes the Las Vegas Grand Prix, moved to settle rather than continue the fight in court.

The case became a test of more than one race weekend. Formula 1 has spent years trying to turn its American presence into a larger entertainment business, and Las Vegas was designed as a flagship event with high prices, high visibility and heavy commercial expectations. The lawsuit showed the risk that comes with that model: when a destination sports event promises exclusivity and spectacle, fans also expect the basics to work.

There was also a procedural trail before the settlement. Sports Business Journal reported on Feb. 28, 2025, that the class action tied to the inaugural Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix had been partially dismissed. By the time the settlement was reached, the dispute had already lingered for more than two years after the race.

For Formula 1, the dollar amount was modest compared with the sport’s global business. The bigger issue was reputational. A $3 million settlement over ticket claims underscores the gap between premium-event pricing and the obligation to deliver what buyers were promised, especially as Formula 1 keeps pushing deeper into the U.S. market.