Test drives
Loose manhole cover slows down Formula 1 in Bahrain
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc drove over the curb in turn eleven and apparently loosened the cover in the process. photo
© Darko Bandic/AP/dpa
Lewis Hamilton & Co. are being put to the test of patience. A defective manhole cover caused the second day of training in Bahrain to be canceled. Memories of Las Vegas come back.
The red flag was then waved and the session was interrupted. The German race director Niels Wittich then inspected the damage and several marshals tried to repair the area in question.
Morning training was canceled
After about 40 minutes of repair work, it was decided to cancel the morning training. The repair should be completed within an hour. The second session of the day was brought forward and extended by an hour. It now lasts from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. German time.
Memories were awakened of the Formula 1 weekend in Las Vegas in mid-November last year. The defective cover of a water shaft damaged Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari in the opening training session. The whole session was canceled at that time. Now the damaged underbody on Leclerc’s car had to be replaced.
The official test drives last until Friday. The first Grand Prix of the year will take place on March 2nd in Bahrain. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen secured the best time on the first day of testing.