DThe first training run for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was stopped after just eight minutes on Thursday evening (local time) and then canceled. As the International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced, a “problem with a manhole cover” on the world-famous strip of Las Vegas Boulevard ended the first laps of the Formula 1 cars before the penultimate race of the year this Sunday (7:00 a.m. CET). FAZ live ticker for Formula 1 and on Sky). The second free training session scheduled for midnight local time (9:00 a.m. CET) has been postponed indefinitely.
As the FIA announced, the concrete frame of the affected manhole cover broke. “We now have to check all the manhole covers, that will take some time,” it said. They said they wanted to discuss how long it would take to solve the problem together with the route architects and engineers. The schedule for the rest of the race weekend may have to be adjusted.
Damage “quite extensive”
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had previously raced along the almost two-kilometer-long straight past the city’s largest casinos when his car suddenly hit at the level of the Hotel Bellagio. A warning message immediately flashed on his steering wheel: “Stop, turn off engine.”
A chunk of asphalt had presumably come loose from the frame of a manhole cover. The training was initially interrupted. “It’s unacceptable that something like this happens,” said Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur.
For just a moment, the world television picture showed how some service vehicles pulled out and workers inspected the route. After eleven minutes, the race management finally announced that the training originally scheduled for one hour could not be continued.
At the following press conference, Mercedes motorsport director Toto Wolff was outraged when a reporter asked to what extent the manhole cover incident was damaging the reputation of the hyped race: “That’s not a black eye, that’s nothing,” he shouted and attacked the questioner: ” How dare you talk like that about an event that will make the whole sport bigger. It’s Thursday night in Vegas, in Europe people aren’t even watching at that time, tomorrow no one will be talking about it anymore.”
Ferrari, meanwhile, described the consequences for Sainz’s company car as “quite extensive” and explained that the engine, battery and monocoque were partially damaged. The damaged car was transported away with a tow truck. Alpine pilot Esteban Ocon suffered a similar fate. As Alpine announced, the chassis of the Frenchman’s car had to be changed. He had therefore driven over the field of rubble that Sainz had left behind. Alpine complained that the race management had not warned them about the danger zone. Due to the canceled training, the remaining teams and pilots miss out on valuable time to familiarize themselves with the new slope.
For the makers of the Vegas race, the manhole cover breakdown was a debacle on the first day. For the first time in forty years, the premier class is circling in the gambling city again. Formula 1 itself acts as the organizer. According to reports, she invested more than 650 million dollars (600 million euros) for this.