What happens in Vegas…

… is sometimes broadcast around the world for millions to watch. This past weekend, Formula One returned to Sin City for the first time in over four decades with a $500+ million Grand Prix race that delivered an exciting finish – but also saw some initial turbulence.

First, the turbulence: Just nine minutes into the first practice session on Thursday evening, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. hit a manhole cover on the F1 track (aka Las Vegas city streets) and badly damaged his car.

Organizers immediately ended the first practice run to remove all manhole covers from the track, then later forced waiting fans to leave the stadium one hour before the second practice session began at 2:30 am local time, citing risks for employees and fans due to the late hour.

• The saga prompted a class-action lawsuit from Thursday ticket-holders who only witnessed nine minutes of racing action before being kicked out.

But, much like Do-Re-Mi, the event ended on a high note. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen notched his record-extending 18th win of the season on Saturday, in a race featuring close competition for the top spot and lots of overtaking, which is rare on a street track like Vegas.

🔢 By the numbers: F1 officials said the three-day race weekend featured 315,000+ spectators and added ~$1.2 billion to Vegas’ local economy. For context, the latter figure is more than twice as much as the Super Bowl is projected to add to Vegas’ economy this upcoming February.