How F1's Las Vegas Grand Prix was ROCKED by drain covers

Las Vegas Grand Prix

How the Las Vegas Grand Prix was ROCKED by drain covers

The event saw huge disruption due to the issue in 2023

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson Chief Editor

Thursday 21 November 2024 16:48

Formula 1 is back in the United States for the third time this season and this time, it is for the most high-profile race of them all - the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

This year's event is the second iteration of Las Vegas GP after its debut on the calendar last year, with the street race that incorporates the famous strip looking to deliver exciting on-track action once again.

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Red Bull star Max Verstappen won the maiden modern-day race in the iconic US city, and the Dutchman can secure a fourth consecutive world championship this weekend if he emerges victorious once again.

Ahead of Verstappen's win last year, though, it would be disingenuous to suggest that things went down totally smoothly. There were several issues in the build-up to the event, for example, and once the action got underway, drain covers rocked the whole weekend.

Max Verstappen won the 2023 Las Vegas GP

What happened with drain covers at the Las Vegas GP?

Carlos Sainz suffered huge damage as a result of a drain cover in Las Vegas

Cars had been on track for just eight minutes of action when things started to go wrong for the drivers, teams, event organisers and most importantly, the fans.

Driving the track as normal, Ferrari star Carlos Sainz ran over a loose manhole cover at a reported speed of over 200 miles per hour, lifting the cover completely and causing huge damage to his Ferrari and a red flag.

Despite this happening just eight minutes into the session, FP1 never got back underway again, with extensive repairs needing to be made to the manhole cover, and all of the others around the circuit also needing to be inspected.

Not only did this see FP1 abandoned, but it also caused delays to FP2, with bitter consequences for fans in attendance.

FP2 was pushed back by two and a half hours, and when cars eventually did hit the track at 2:30am, the grandstands - previously filled with spectators - were now empty. This is because they had been kicked out by F1 and the event organisers who enforced a 1:30am curfew.

F1 put this down to several factors, but the reality of the situation was that many fans who had forked out on grandstand tickets and tickets to the event felt incredibly short-changed, with reports of police even threatening those who refused to leave with trespass charges.

Have changes been made for 2024?

Changes have been confirmed for the 2024 Las Vegas GP

Yes, fortunately, there have been changes implemented by the race organisers to ensure that there is no repeat of last year's drain cover chaos.

That has been confirmed by Lori Nelson-Kraft, the race's senior vice president of corporate affairs.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Nelson-Kraft explained: "All the utility lids along the circuit have really undergone a rigorous process to secure them,"

"So that got a very hard look."

With that confirmed, it appears that it is very unlikely F1 will encounter a similar issue once again this year and with that said, the lengthy delays that rocked the schedule in 2023 will also hope to be swerved.

Written by

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson - Chief Editor

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson is a motorsport journalist and editor specializing in NASCAR. He covers the sport across the Cup Series, O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, and Truck Series, producing breaking news, live race reports, features, analysis, and opinion.

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