One man who knows the devastating effects of hitting a loose drain cover in an F1 car is Carlos Sainz. Now, his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, does too. The Monegasque was cruising in the brand-new SF24 in the morning session of the second day of pre-season testing when catastrophe struck. Leclerc went wide on the curbs when an unusually high drain cover came loose and damaged his car.
Sainz, however, was aware of the danger and tried to warn him. Unfortunately, the Spaniard failed to save his teammate from damaging the floor of his car. Sainz, in an interview following the incident, revealed that he spotted the loose drain cover and urged the marshals to yellow flag the session.
The same was to make sure the drivers would slow down while the track officials worked on the drain cover to lower it. Moreover, Sainz also stood near the turn where Leclerc damaged the floor of his car to warn him of the danger.
Unfortunately, while he was still talking with the marshals, Leclerc drove over the drain cover that came loose after Lewis Hamilton drove over it moments ago. Ferrari has now issued a statement, revealing the extent of the damage Leclerc’s car took.
carlos explained that he was standing in front of the drain cover when it came out and, while he was telling people to yellow flag the session, charles ran over it pic.twitter.com/fbRPRpBc7v
— clara (@leclercsletters) February 22, 2024
The team has replaced the damaged floor, which will make its way back to the Maranello factory. Fortunately, the chassis did not take any beating and should be ready for the afternoon session.
Charles Leclerc escapes Carlos Sainz’s ill fate
While Charles Leclerc’s incident is similar to the one that Carlos Sainz suffered in Las Vegas, the damage is not nearly as close. Sainz, during the first practice session of the Las Vegas GP, drove over a loose drain cover in the middle of the track.
The devastating impact not only damaged the floor of his car but also dealt a severe blow to his chassis and the battery unit of his engine. Resultantly, Sainz, who looked poised for a high-placed finish in the Grand Prix, took a 10-place grid penalty even before the qualifying started.
| Issues have been identified with multiple drains around the circuit.
This is the moment Sainz hit a drain cover on the Las Vegas strip
[Via: PalomaFOX5News] #F1 #LasVegasGP
— RBR News (@redbulletin) November 17, 2023
In the post-session interview, the Singapore GP winner recalled not feeling his legs for a while owing to the impact. Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur questioned the FIA’s conduct over the incident.
Citing the unpredictable nature of the crash, the Frenchman called for a waiver in the penalty. The ruling body, however, paid no heed to the demands, leaving the team boss furious.
Ferrari has also launched a claim with the insurance company to avail reimbursement for the financial damages suffered. Vasseur rued the slow pace in the settlement of such claims, but was hopeful of a favorable outcome.
