Carlos Sainz hits loose drain cover on Las Vegas GP track as practice session cancelled
F1’s highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix is back on track after a disastrous opening day had to be suspended to fix a loose manhole cover, as qualifying begins.
The first session of F1’s newest event had only been going for eight minutes before Carlos Sainz’s car stopped on the lengthy Vegas strip. Replays show his Ferrari car, at speeds of over 200mph, went over a loose drain cover before the Spaniard veered to the side and stopped the car due to substantial floor damage, and Ferrari were furious.
FP2 was delayed for more than two hours while the circuit was made safe, before the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Sainz topped the timings, with Max Verstappen only sixth. FP3 then saw Mercedes’ George Russell top the charts ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Pastri and Williams’ Logan Sargeant, with Ferrari way down the results after choosing to preserve their soft tyres.
Follow live updates from the Las Vegas Grand Prix below and check the latest F1 odds and tips here.
Las Vegas GP – qualifying
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F1 fail to apologise or issue refunds to Las Vegas fans: ‘It happens’
Here’s the latest on the chaos of the opening session, which had to be abandoned due when Carlos Sainz snagged a loose manhole cover within 10 minutes of FP1 beginning, from our man on the ground in Las Vegas, Kieran Jackson:
As opposed to a refund, all single-day ticket holders have instead been offered a $200 voucher for the Las Vegas Grand Prix official shop.
Those with full weekend, three-day tickets won’t be reimbursed in any way for Thursday night’s lost action.
A lengthy statement released on Friday from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Las Vegas Grand Prix CEO Renee Wilm was also notable for the lack of an apology to spectators as well.
Lawrence Ostlere18 November 2023 07:40
Las Vegas Grand Prix – F1 qualifying
Welcome along to live coverage of qualifying from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which starts at 8am GMT (midnight local time).
Lawrence Ostlere18 November 2023 07:37