Las Vegas Grand Prix Off to Disastrous Start
For all the excitement and questions around F1’s first rip to Las Vegas since 1982, Sin City did not deliver. Less than 15 minutes into the first practice runs the session was red flagged. It’s clear that the Las Vegas Grand Prix is off to a disastrous start. Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari hit a loose drain cover on the back straightaway that caused tremendous damage to the #55 Ferrari. F1 fans around the globe have been skeptical of the event since it’s announcement. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is off to a disastrous start. Carlos Sainz is also being assessed a 10-grid penalty as a result of the team having to replace the car’s power unit. Even though the team only needed to replace the parts because of the damage caused by the loose drain cover on the track! Here is the video where the Ferrari hit the cover.
In the parlance of auto racing, holy crap. Here’s why they canceled the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix practice tonight. #WTF1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/DL5lheeGH5
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) November 17, 2023
This is an embarrassment, and there’s no other way to put it. The cars did get back on track for Practice 2. Although that was two and a half hours late as crews had to inspect all other drain covers on the track. F1 also removed all fans for the practice session. And that is a shame because it proved to be an exciting one. Red Bull, which has dominated all season, seemed to be a little off the pace. It’s difficult to tell the full potential of a car after just an hour and a half on track. But Red bull has struggled on street circuits (comparatively to the rest of the tracks) this season. If you’re wondering about the full results of the second practice session, just bang it here.
Las Vegas Grand Prix: Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is not holding back on his thoughts on the week either. Before even getting on track Verstappen said he does not like all of the events surrounding the race. He said he does not like that it is 99% glitz and 1% racing. After getting a few laps in on the new circuit, Max did not change his tune. “I didn’t enjoy it, there are more enjoyable circuits to drive. Haven’t discovered anything new. The track improved at the end with a bit more rubber. We were able to complete our entire program.” The race and qualifying are still to come. But the Las Vegas Grand Prix is off to a disastrous start.