{"id":26013,"date":"2023-11-18T23:59:06","date_gmt":"2023-11-18T23:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/vegas-gp-opening-practice-cut-short-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-18T23:59:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-18T23:59:06","slug":"vegas-gp-opening-practice-cut-short-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/vegas-gp-opening-practice-cut-short-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegas GP opening practice cut short | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nLAS VEGAS:
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The Las Vegas Grand Prix suffered an embarrassing first night when the opening practice on the new circuit was abandoned after just nine minutes on Thursday because of a loose drain cover.<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz<\/a> was forced to a stop in his Ferrari after hitting the cover, resulting in a red flag and damage to the front of his car on what should have been a triumphant return for F1 to Vegas after two races in 1981 and 1982.<\/p>\n

Video footage showed sparks flying from the bottom of Sainz’s car after it hit what organisers called a “water valve cover”.<\/p>\n

After some delay organisers announced that the session would not be resumed.<\/p>\n

“Following inspection, it was the concrete frame around a manhole cover that has failed. We now need to check all of the other manhole covers, which will take some time,” the governing FIA said in a statement.<\/p>\n

A second practice session was scheduled for midnight local time but was delayed as course workers carried out urgent checks and repairs.<\/p>\n

Adding to the public relations damage, fans at the track were left unclear about when that session would take place. The FIA later said the aim was to start at 2:00am with an extended session lasting 90 minutes.<\/p>\n

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had posted the fastest lap with a time of 1:40.909.<\/p>\n

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, who was clearly angry in a news conference, said there was no chance of Sainz taking part in the second session.<\/p>\n

“We damaged completely the monocoque, the engine, the battery. I think it’s just unacceptable,” he said.<\/p>\n

“It cost us a fortune. We won’t be part of FP2 for sure. I think it’s just unacceptable for F1 today,” he added.<\/p>\n

In a heated press conference, Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff reacted with fury to a question from a reporter about whether the incident was a “black eye” for the sport’s organisers.<\/p>\n

“That is not a black eye, this is nothing. We are on Thursday night, we have a FP1 that we are not doing, they are going to seal the rain covers and nobody is going to talk about that anymore tomorrow morning,” said the German.<\/p>\n

“It’s completely ridiculous. How can you even dare trying to talk bad about an event that sets new standards in everything? You are talking about a drain cover that has been undone, that has happened before and is nothing,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Between the FIA and the track, everybody needs to analyze how we can make sure this doesn’t happen again, but talking about a black eye for the sport on a Thursday evening, nobody watches that in European time anyway,” he added.<\/p>\n

Esteban Ocon’s Alpine also suffered damage and the team were forced to begin changing the chassis on his car.<\/p>\n

A similar incident occurred at the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix when George Russell, then racing for Williams, had his car hit by a loose manhole cover and the first practice session was cancelled.<\/p>\n

Thursday’s opening practice was the first time the new circuit had been raced upon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n