Disaster in first F1 Las Vegas practice: what happens now?

After all the hype, it couldn’t have got off to a worse start. The initial free practices of the Las Vegas Grand Prix lasted only ten minutes because several poorly sealed manhole covers popped open with the passing of the cars, causing significant damage. Carlos Sainz had to park the Ferrari in the middle of the back straight after running over one of these manholes, which shattered the SF23′s underbelly.

However, it wasn’t an isolated incident but a constant occurrence in the first ten minutes (Ocon will have to change his chassis due to damage suffered), so the FIA opted to display the red flag and not resume the session. The process of analysing, one by one, all the manholes on the Las Vegas Strip circuit began.

What happens in Vegas... stays in F1 headlines

The situation, in any case, is absurd, and follows on the bad press the last time we were here (so much for third time lucky!). Formula 1 had planned a top-notch circuit and a grand weekend, regardless of what happens on the asphalt. But without competition, the neon lights and other artificial elements surrounding the Grand Prix become even more pointless. Sainz was seventh before his incident, Leclerc was leading with some advantage, although competitive laps had not been seen.

Sphere and loathing in Las Vegas

“It’s unacceptable; we’ve damaged the chassis, the engine, the battery,” a very annoyed Fred Vasseur said at the FIA press conference. “The session is ruined for Carlos; he won’t be able to go out in Free Practice 2, and it’s going to cost us a fortune. It’s simply unacceptable.”

Some drivers like Alonso didn’t even set a time in this first session. They will have to wait for the second, presumably longer than usual. If the asphalt is in safe condition, that is.

This is not the first time something like this has happened in recent years. In Baku 2019, a manhole cover destroyed Russell’s Williams and forced a halt to the practices until it was confirmed that all covers met safety standards. Among the inconveniences in Las Vegas: there are no other competitions this weekend, so F2 or F3 cars are not cleaning the track, laying down rubber, or checking for possible assembly errors because they are not present. Additionally, the road is open to traffic until a few hours before the practices, with all that implies.

But above all, on a new and unfamiliar track, drivers will miss at least an hour of free practice.