After months of anticipation, the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas kicked off in an anti-escalation fashion.
Thursday night’s first practice session (local time) was brought to an early halt when Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz stopped on track.
A red flag was issued before race control announced that FP1 would not continue due to drain cover problem.
Why was FP1 canceled at the Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix? Carlos Sainz suffers pit cover damage
FP1 ended early in Las Vegas, with the session being cancelled after just eight minutes to allow track repairs.
TV replays showed Sainz going through over a loose drain cover before pulling his Ferrari to the side of the track.
Stewards quickly investigated the problem, which appeared to have caused serious damage to the floor of the Spaniard’s car.
We still have a red flag as the marshals move the Ferrari off the track#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/qhtBGiUplQ
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 17, 2023
Cheers could be heard from fans in the stands when the public address system announced the cancellation of the session, which required repairs to the circuit.
Esteban Ocon’s Alpine car also suffered a pit cover impact, although the damage did not appear to be as serious.
“Following an FIA inspection, a concrete frame around a pit cover was found to have failed during FP1”F1 wrote in a statement on social media.
“The FIA is starting checks on all other caps across the circuit. Any changes to the program will be communicated in due course.”
It is unclear whether FP2, currently scheduled for midnight in Las Vegas, will take place.
