The FIA investigation revealed that the concrete frame surrounding a manhole cover was the culprit behind the track issue during the First Formula 1 practice at the $500 billion Las Vegas Grand Prix. The problematic manhole cover incident occurred just eight minutes into the session when Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari came to a halt on the track, triggering a red flag.
It was observed that Sainz had driven over a loose drain cover on the road, potentially causing damage to the underside of his car. Recognizing the safety risk and considering that the clock of a practice session continues to run during a red flag, the decision was made to call off the session due to the time required to address the loose drain cover.
As a precaution, other drivers, including reigning world champion Max Verstappen, were instructed to steer clear of debris in the same part of the track where Sainz encountered the issue. Alpine later confirmed the need to change the chassis on Esteban Ocon’s car due to damage at the same location on the circuit.
This turn of events marks a challenging start to F1’s controversial Las Vegas Grand Prix, for which the sport invested $500 million in a unique deal where it acts as the event promoter. The cancellation of the session means that one of the allocated three hours for drivers has been lost.
Following the incident, the FIA confirmed that the concrete frame failure required thorough inspections of all other manhole covers on the track, a process that is anticipated to take a significant amount of time. Consequently, there is now uncertainty surrounding the second practice session originally scheduled to take place at midnight. This situation echoes a similar incident before the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix when George Russell’s Williams suffered damage from a loose manhole cover.
