SPORTS
First F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Practice Shut Down After Drain Cover Damages Ferrari
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The first practice for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix was halted Thursday night after Carlos Sainz Jr. ran over a loose drain cover and damaged his Ferrari.
Sainz appeared to bottom out and slowed to a halt, the FIA said in a statement. Several minutes later, officials halted all cars on the track in order to inspect the full circuit.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc came in first with a lap of 1:40.909, ahead of the Haas cars of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, though the bulk of drivers had posted just four laps at the time of Sainzs incident, the FIA said. A second practice run scheduled for midnight Thursday was delayed.
The FIA said that officials reported a concrete frame around a manhole cover had failed and that all of the other manhole covers would need to be checked.
In a contentious press conference after the incident, furious team Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur said it was just unacceptable that the accident would keep Sainz out of the second practice.
This will cost us a fortune. We fed up the session for Carlos. We wont be part of the FP2 for sure, Vasseur said. We have to change the chassis out of the car, to set-up the car. OK, the show is the show and everything is going well but I think its just unacceptable for the F1 today.
Asked whether the practice, in which both Sainz and Esteban Ocon of Alpine damaged their cars, was embarrassing for Formula 1 after more than $500 million was spent to promote the event on the Las Vegas Strip, Vasseur said he was still convinced that the event is mega for F1.
Pressed on whether the track issues signify a black eye for Formula 1, team Mercedes boss Toto Wolff brushed it off as nothing.
That is not a black eye. This is nothing, Wolff said. They’re going to seal the drain covers and nobody’s going to talk about that tomorrow morning.
A reporter asked how the mishap could be overlooked when thousands of fans had to leave the practice Thursday night while repairs were made.
It’s completely ridiculous, completely ridiculous, Wolff said. How can you even dare trying to talk bad about an event that sets the new standards, new standards to everything.
The 3.85-mile street course features 17 turns, and passes several landmarks on a stretch of the Las Vegas Strip. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled for 1 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19.
TMX contributed to this article.
