Formula 1’s push into America began as it has many times before – with a huge setback caused by the first practice session being virtually canceled because drain covers caused chaos.
There is no certainty that there will be any further action this evening.
The highly anticipated start of the Grand Prix weekend in Las Vegas, the most hyped event the sport has ever hosted, ended with just eight minutes of running time. Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari broke down after apparently hitting a drain.
Esteban Ocon from Alpine also came across a loose manhole cover.
Sainz suffered a jolt before coming to a stop. His delay resulted in a red flag being waved that was never lifted.
The first practice session of the Vegas Grand Prix had to be stopped after eight minutes due to a loose drain cover
The problem was less than an ideal start to a highly anticipated weekend in Las Vegas
Track marshals and officials look after the area of the track where the first training session ended early
Up to 100,000 fans were expected to gather at the new circuit on the Strip, although there were some vacant seats as Formula One sought to penetrate deeper into the American market.
An FIA spokesman said: “After inspection, it was the concrete frame around a manhole cover that failed.”
“We now need to check all other manhole covers and this will take some time.” “We will discuss with the local engineering team how long the solution will take and update any changes to the schedule.”
The second training session is scheduled to start at midnight local time, but there are no guarantees about this.
Some fans have paid $185,000 (£150,000) for the privilege of being here – and the setback is turning the faces of F1 bosses bright red.