F1 News: Ferrari still waiting on compensation for $2m accident

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F1 News & Gossip

Ferrari still waiting on compensation for $2m accident

Carlos Sainz's car was destroyed by a loose drain cover in Vegas

Chris Deeley

Saturday 17 February 2024 10:57 Updated: 12:08

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Fred Vasseur has revealed that Ferrari are still working to be compensated for the incident which destroyed Carlos Sainz's car at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Sainz's car was wrecked after he drove over a loose drain cover, putting the team's mechanics on the clock to fix the damage and causing a domino effect of delays.

Practice sessions had to be delayed substantially as the track was made safe for the rigors of Formula 1 racing which, coupled with the night-time sessions, led to fans being escorted out having seen next to no track time.

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A number of those fans are still exploring their legal options after they were offered a merchandise voucher instead of any monetary compensation, creating a negative sensation around the weekend before the first day had even finished.

Carlos Sainz had a difficult weekend at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix

The coming season will be Carlos Sainz's last with Ferrari, as he's set to be replaced by Lewis Hamilton

Vasseur: Compensation is a work in progress

The cost of the damage was enormous, estimated to be in the region of $2m for Ferrari - a potentially crippling sum for a team competing for wins in the cost cap era, especially for an incident in which they bore no responsibility.

Team principal Vasseur was asked whether any progress had been made in reaching an agreement at the team's launch this week, and said: "We are still in talks, it is work in progress, so to speak (laughs). But I think such a time span is normal in cases like this. So I am not worried, we are going to find a solution."

Asked if that meant that another party, likely the organiser, would be picking up the tab, he added: "I think this is the normal and logical outcome, and we are working on that."

Ferrari Formula 1 Carlos Sainz Las Vegas Grand Prix Fred Vasseur