Work on the track ended at 4am local time on Friday morning, three hours later than planned, after a delay caused by the need to check and secure all water valve covers around the track.
This followed the disruption of FP1 after Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz crashed at high speed into a cover that had been torn loose from Esteban Ocon’s Alpine, destroying the underside of his car.
Domenicali and Wilms stressed that the decision to continue and run FP2 was “supported by all parties to ensure the sporting integrity of the remainder of the event” and thanked the drivers and teams for their patience.
Regarding the controversial matter of spectators being evicted from the venue an hour before the final start of the delayed FP2 session, they confirmed that this was due to staffing issues, mainly related to the hours that security and transport staff are legally required to be in the venue were able to remain in service.
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Police throw fans from a stand
They say this has been resolved this evening in case qualifying goes past the scheduled finish time of 1 a.m. PT.
“The delay in the start of the second free practice session from midnight to 2:30 a.m. resulted in risks for our employees and our fans,” the statement said. “We have made the decision to close the fan areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the LVGP at 1.30 a.m. and send the fans home.
“Let us explain why. Firstly, we were worried about our security guards who had been on duty for a long time and who had to work for the next three nights.
“Secondly, we were concerned about our transport staff who are responsible for driving our fans back to the hotels. Federal law limited them to the time period during which they could legally and safely drive buses.
“Ultimately, our hospitality staff needed the opportunity to clean and re-supply our guest areas to ensure the fan experience is optimal for everyone in the coming days.”
“We know that was disappointing. We hope this statement will help our fans understand that we had to balance many interests, including the safety of all participants and the fan experience throughout the race weekend.
“We have all been to events such as concerts, games and even other F1 races that were canceled due to factors such as weather or technical problems. It’s happening and we hope people understand.”
Explaining the changes introduced for Friday evening, Domenicali and Wilms said: “We have been working overnight to adjust our staffing plans in the areas of security, transport and hospitality to ensure we function in the event of a longer race and provide the best possible experience for fans can.” Schedule.”
Photo by: Francois Tremblay
Work and discussions are underway to secure the loose water valve covers to the track
Domenicali and Wilms also touched on the work that needed to be completed to ensure the track could be reopened for FP2, which involved filling the water valve cover holes with asphalt and sand.
“The FIA, which is responsible for the safe conduct of activities on the circuit, stopped the session so that we could look at the broken water valve cover and inspect the track,” they said.
“This has happened occasionally at other tracks in other races around the world. As a precautionary measure, all water valve covers along the entire route were removed and filled with sand and asphalt. The entire process, from identifying the problem to fixing it, took about five hours.
“The decision to remedy the situation in this way was made out of an abundance of caution and because the safety of the drivers, marshals and officials, as well as our fans, is always our top priority.
“We thank the contractors who worked quickly to resolve the situation so quickly.”
TO UPDATE: The LVGP has offered all day ticket holders a $200 voucher starting Thursday that they can redeem at the official Las Vegas Grand Prix store “as a thank you for your support.”
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