2023-11-17 05:11:00
After months of waiting and anticipation, the return of Formula 1 to Las Vegas quickly took a negative turn. The first free practice session was canceled when a sewer drain caused damage to Carlos Sainz’s car after just nine minutes of action on Thursday evening.
The suction of the vehicle raised the drain which damaged Sainz’s Ferrari which automatically stopped on the track. The Spaniard was one of the first drivers to put wheels on the new track built on the streets of Las Vegas.
Looks like a bump on the track has caused Sainz’s car to switch off ????#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/HBW0otcYhk
— Formula 1 (@F1)
November 17, 2023
The commissioners announced the suspension of the session, before confirming its cancellation.
Formula 1 will carry out a full assessment of the circuit before allowing the cars to return to the track.
The second free practice session was scheduled for midnight Las Vegas time (3 a.m. Quebec time).
“We will discuss with the local engineering team how long it will take to resolve the issue and update any resulting changes to the timetable,” the FIA added.
Sainz’s Ferrari suffered a shock nine minutes into this session on the long straight which stretches along the “Strip”. Its powerplant is potentially destroyed.
The Alpine of Frenchman Esteban Ocon also suffered heavy damage to the flat bottom when passing over a manhole cover.
Charles Leclerc had set the best time before the interruption in 1 min 40 sec 909 for the great return of F1 to Las Vegas, 41 years after the last Grand Prix contested in the city of gambling.
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