Ferrari echo Max Verstappen criticism as Vegas GP practice scrapped in shambles

17 November 2023 , 07:34

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First practice in Las Vegas was called off after Carlos Sainz sustained heavy damage from the track (Image: Hasan Bratic/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Furious Ferrari chief Frederic Vasseur flew off the handle after issues on the Las Vegas Grand Prix track which saw practice cancelled did damage to Carlos Sainz's car which will "cost a fortune".

F1's glamorous new event got off to an inauspicious start from a sporting perspective on Friday. First practice lasted for just 20 minutes before it was called off due to unsafe track conditions.

Sainz was on track when he hit a manhole cover which had become loose from the ground. And he wasn't the only unlucky racer to pick up damage, as Alpine were also forced to make repairs to Esteban Ocon's car.

Ferrari team principal Vasseur said the track issues were "just unacceptable". He told reporters that chassis, engine and battery damage had been done to Sainz's car which meant that, even if the delayed second session of the day went ahead, the Spaniard would not be taking part.

"The show is mega and I am very happy with what [F1 owners] Liberty [Media] did around the race but we have to separate the show and the sporting side," said the Frenchman.

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"The show is mega. The opening ceremony was something mega in F1 but it is not because you are doing this that you don't have to do the job on the sporting side. You can do the show and do a good job on the sporting side."

His words echo those of Max Verstappen who was left very unimpressed after taking part on the 'opening ceremony' for the event on Wednesday night. The champion slammed the event as being "99 per cent show, and one per cent sporting event".

"For me, you can all skip these things," the Red Bull racer said of all the off-track pageantry. "It's not about the singer, it's just standing up there, you look like a clown... I just like to always focus on the performance side of things. I don't like all the things around it."

The FIA announced an indefinite delay to proceedings in Las Vegas until all the manhole covers around the track could be checked, and the damaged one could be fixed. A spokesperson said that "discussions around all possible scenarios are ongoing".

They added: "Following inspection, it was the concrete frame around a manhole cover that has failed. We now need to check all of the other manhole covers, which will take some time. We will be discussing with the local circuit engineering team about the length of time it will take to resolve and will update with any resultant changes to the schedule."

Daniel Moxon