Dangerous track defect sees FP1 cancelled in Las Vegas

After less than 10 minutes of running, the inaugural practice session at the Las Vegas Grand Prix came to an early end following a dangerous track defect, seeing Carlos Sainz and his Ferrari battered by a failed concrete man-hole frame.

For the first time since the 1980s, Formula 1 returned to Sin City for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, hosted in the heart of the iconic Las Vegas Strip.

As the Sphere counted down to the green light for FP1, Lance Stroll commenced the highly-anticipated inaugural practice session of the Las Vegas GP, being the first driver to begin his out-lap around the Monza/Singapore-reminiscent track.

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, was the first driver to head out for FP1 at the Las Vegas GP. Image: Jake Grant / LAT Images.

Rivalling the speed of the iconic Italian circuit, the Las Vegas Strip Circuit is defined by its long straights and slow-speed corners, seeing Monza-spec wings being run by teams, reducing down-force.

Additionally, grip will be a huge challenge for the drivers to manage across the entire weekend with the Strip remaining active outside of official sessions and temperatures of as low as 4°C expected during the late-night outings.

George Russell was the first to give feedback on the grip levels, saying that the grip levels were very low to start the session.

As a result, the initial fastest time was a 1:44.019 set by Charles Leclerc.

The Mercedes driver also reported of a bump on the track, an issue that ultimately ended FP1.

Much to the dismay of those waiting years for this event, only a few laps were the only entertainment FP1 was safely able to provide for spectators. 

Having only practised on simulators, yellow flags were inevitable, however, amplified by a Red Flag as a result of a stationary Ferrari in Sector 3.

Just 10 minutes into the session, Carlos Sainz had pulled over to the side of the Strip after a sudden impact caused his engine to shut down.

Carlos Sainz stops his car on circuit after obtaining damage from a failed manhole cover. Image: Simon Galloway / LAT Images.

It was confirmed by the FIA that a concrete frame around a man-hole had failed, requiring each man-hole on the circuit to be checked before running could continue in Vegas.

The Spaniard’s SF-23 was left with major floor damage and a suspected broken front suspension and chassis from the incident, damage that he wasn’t alone in gaining.

Esteban Ocon’s Alpine also took similar damage, seeing the Frenchman’s car requiring a chassis change following the cancellation. 

FIA officials and Las Vegas marshals investigated the area during the Red Flag, resulting in a permanent end to FP1.

Free Practice 2 is currently set to start at 7:00 PM, ADST, however, the potential for an extended 90-minute session could see that change. 

Free Practice 1 Results:

Download the full Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix event guide HERE with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles.

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