The Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix is off to the shakiest of starts, all thanks to a loose drain valve cover.
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz hit the offending cover during the first practice session on Thursday night, causing substantial damage to his car frame and engine. Organizers called off the session after just 10 minutes as a result. F1 released a statement confirming that engineering teams are “actively working to review and address the issue:”
As confirmed in the statement, F1 has affirmed it will continue to offer food, beverage, and entertainment options for those who chose to stay despite the cancellation. However, it means that those who just bought a ticket to the day may have to take the long journey home having seen just 10 minutes of action. The second practice session was due to go ahead at midnight local time, a time that has now passed with no other update.
LOL. You can still sit in your seats while no cars go around and drink a $25 beer.”
X users were highly critical in response to F1’s statement. One called Zeke responded: “LOL. You can still sit in your seats while no cars go around and drink a $25 beer.” Meanwhile, another named Radley urged organizers to focus on driver safety more than their patrons, sharing a video of the supposed Sainz incident:
Las Vegas GP qualifying is scheduled for Friday night, while the race will take place at 10pm local time on Saturday.