The start in Las Vegas has become an embarrassing farce for Formula 1. After a few minutes, the first free training session on Thursday evening (11/16/2023/local time) had to be stopped. It was not restarted due to a problem with a manhole cover on the street circuit.
The start of the second training session, which was actually scheduled for 9 a.m. German time, was delayed indefinitely due to precise checks at similar points on the street circuit. Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari was apparently hit on the underbody when it drove over a manhole cover. The car then rolled to a stop. Alpine also reported damage to Esteban Ocon’s chassis.
FIA: “Manhole covers need to be checked”
“It will take time to understand the problem and take the necessary measures,” The world association FIA initially announced and after a few minutes was able to present an initial result: the concrete frame around a manhole cover had failed, “We now have to check all the other manhole covers, which will take some time.”
The schedule for the rest of the race weekend may have to be adjusted. Some pilots had just completed their first laps on the new circuit when the marshals waved the red flag.
“Unacceptable for Formula 1”
Sainz had come to a stop on Las Vegas Boulevard, slow motion footage later showed a clear vibration on the Spaniard’s car as he drove over the manhole cover at high speed. The world director of Formula 1 did not show these scenes.
Carlos Sainz’s damaged Ferrari
The damage to the chassis and drive of Sainz’s car will “cost a fortune,” complained Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur. “We messed up the session for Carlos. We definitely won’t be there in FP2 (second free practice). That’s simply unacceptable for Formula 1 today.”
The Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday morning German time (7:00 a.m.), is a major prestige project for the racing series. The route runs under floodlights past the city’s most important landmarks; the event has a unique significance for the marketing of Formula 1 in the USA and around the world. The race had been advertised accordingly in the past weeks and months.