Watch: Las Vegas Formula 1 Race Off to Disastrous Start After Ferrari Catches Fire in Practice
The Las Vegas Grand Prix hit a bump in the road — literally — as practice began Thursday.
Driver Carlos Sainz Jr. struck the concrete frame of a water valve cover, badly damaging his Ferrari, according to CBS.
Sparks flew from beneath the car after the collision.
Track surveillance footage when Carlos Sainz ran over the drain cover at Las Vegas GP…💥
Clearly see the extent of the damage his Ferrari suffered with sparks flying off the floor…😬#LasVegasGP #f1lasvegas #F1 pic.twitter.com/gNesBm3T0c
— Opinionated Fan (@OpinionatedSF19) November 17, 2023
Things are not going great for @F1 in Las Vegas: pic.twitter.com/v5bPXGVkzp
— Paloma Villicana (@PalomaFOX5News) November 17, 2023
Things are not going great for @F1 in Las Vegas: pic.twitter.com/v5bPXGVkzp
— Paloma Villicana (@PalomaFOX5News) November 17, 2023
Here is a look at the damage caused to Carlos Sainz Ferrari by the loose drain cover at the F1 Las Vegas GP pic.twitter.com/yfrf3wg8YC
— Sidecar Fun (@FunSidecar) November 17, 2023
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur called the incident “just unacceptable.”
“It is unacceptable for F1. You would be upset in this situation,” he said.
A statement from F1 Las Vegas said “a single water valve cover … failed.” Local crews were called in, but a midnight practice was delayed.
An event update from #LasVegasGP#F1 pic.twitter.com/b9YuWYBOhS
— F1 Las Vegas (@F1LasVegas) November 17, 2023
According to statement from F1 and Las Vegas Grand Prix Inc, “a single water valve cover on the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit failed during the first practice session”.
That goes against what the FIA has suggested to us so far that it was more than one issue noted #F1 #LasVegasGP
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) November 17, 2023
I see a number of man hole covers marked with red paint and removed for repair.
Straight up lies pic.twitter.com/UT6m0oZyjM
— Alex Harrington (@AlexDoesF1) November 17, 2023
Fans who had bought tickets to watch the practice were shooed away, leading to a class action lawsuit being filed, according to Reuters.
Although Las Vegas Grand Prix officials offered merchandise vouchers worth $200 to fans who bought single-day tickets to see the practice, attorney Steve Dimopoulos, representing the disappointed fans, said that was not good enough.
“There are a number of issues with that. Clearly that is not a refund that is sufficient. A lot of fans probably don’t even want that; they want their money back,” he said.
Now cementing multiple man holes pic.twitter.com/skpZdNbT7n
— Alex Harrington (@AlexDoesF1) November 17, 2023
F1 has cancelled the first practice session of the first ever Las Vegas Grand Prix due to a loose drain cover 😳 pic.twitter.com/hLcP1VHfED
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) November 17, 2023
Here is a look at the damage caused to Carlos Sainz Ferrari by the loose drain cover at the F1 Las Vegas GP pic.twitter.com/yfrf3wg8YC
— Sidecar Fun (@FunSidecar) November 17, 2023
“There are also peripheral issues of what about the people that came in from out of town and paid for substantial airfare and hotels,” he said.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who before the race began called the event “99 percent show, 1 percent sport,” won the race, according to CNN.
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