The Las Vegas GP is off to a terrible start after a loose manhole cover caused chaos at the tracks during FP1. Esteban Ocon’s car suffered a broken chassis, while Carlos Sainz’s car had an engine failure upon coming in contact with the cover. Following the incident, fans and pundits were quick to blame F1 for not testing the tracks well enough to know of this mistake. However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has since come forth to defend the authorities against the backlash.
“It’s completely ridiculous! Completely ridiculous!” – Mercedes boss Toto Wolff launched a tirade after F1 and Las Vegas GP were criticisedhttps://t.co/7AlDPkUrj6
— Speedcafe.com (@speedcafe) November 17, 2023
Following the incidents involving Sainz and Ocon, the authorities saw it best to call off FP1 and shift all focus to repairing the cover. Furthermore, the FIA released an official statement where they claimed they would seal all the covers properly before the cars go out on the track. Facing severe backlash for the same, the F1 authorities saw an unlikely savior emerge in the form of Toto Wolff, who was quick to dismiss all those questioning the authorities (interview quoted on X by Junaid JB#17).
“We’re talking about a f*cking manhole cover, in the first free practice! Give some credit to the people who make this event possible, the people who made this sport bigger than ever.”
The authorities are hard at work to rectify the mistake, but it will be a lengthy process. Per the latest reports, there are 30 covers throughout the track, and the plan is to remove the top part of the holes and fill it with quick-drying concrete to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
While Toto Wolff defends F1, Fred Vasseur blasts the authorities for their negligence
As Carlos Sainz unknowingly drove over the loose manhole cover, the impact of the floor with the cast iron disc killed his engine immediately. With the red flags out, the Ferrari driver looked baffled over what had just happened to him. Upon understanding the issue, a furious Fred Vasseur did not hold back while blaming the authorities for not doing a better job of looking after the track. He revealed there was severe damage to the monocoque, the engine, and the battery of Sainz’s car.
😡 Fred Vasseur muestra su enfado por lo ocurrido en los primeros libres del GP de Las Vegas. Además, confirma que Sainz no estará en los #FP2, de disputarse. #LasVegasGP🇺🇸 #F1 https://t.co/phQDi6q1vC
— MotorTimeES #LasVegasGP🇺🇸 (@MotorTimeES) November 17, 2023
He added that with so much damage, there was no chance Sainz would be able to be a part of FP2. Vasseur said it would cost his team a fortune to make the repairs and that the issue was “unacceptable.” With P2 in the constructor’s standings on the line in the last two races of the season, it is a huge dent in the hopes of Scuderia Ferrari, who will now have to rely on only Leclerc‘s input of the track. Given Sainz won’t be taking part in FP2, he will only have FP3 to understand the track and how his car performs on it. Should there be any difficulties, the Spaniard will have little time to fix it, given qualifying will begin shortly after FP3.
