Carlos Sainz will serve a 10-place grid penalty for Saturday’s Las Vegas Grand Prix main race after Ferrari changed parts of his damaged car. F1 expert David Croft believes that even had the stewards not given the Spaniard a penalty, Mercedes would have opposed the decision.
Junaid Samodien shared Croft’s thoughts by stating, “Crofty (Sky F1 UK) says at least one team, who he later mentions as Mercedes would have rejected the possibility of Carlos Sainz getting special dispensation to get a new battery without serving a penalty.”
🚨 BREAKING: Carlos Sainz WILL have to serve a penalty after having replaced multiple components. #F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/QZ8XW3Byt3
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) November 17, 2023
Mercedes likely would have opposed the decision as they are in a tight battle with Ferrari for P2 in the Constructors’ Championship. As for the 29-year-old, he will serve this penalty despite there being no fault of his own or that of Ferrari. Instead, it is the Las Vegas GP organizers who are at fault.
Sainz collided with the drain cover that damaged his car’s internal combustion engine, energy store and control electronics, and survival cell. Therefore, the Spanish driver’s SF-23 had to opt for the third energy store of the year, one more than the maximum allowed. This, in the end, made a mockery of the system, F1, and the FIA as a whole.
What happened with Carlos Sainz in Las Vegas?
The much-anticipated Las Vegas GP started with misery for Ferrari as Carlos Sainz suffered enormous damage after driving over a loose water cover. This resulted in Ferrari having to change his car’s engine components.
After the Spanish driver pulled up by the side of the track on the Las Vegas strip, the FIA discontinued the session citing security measures. They then took immediate steps to cover the water covers with concrete and took precautions so that this did not get repeated.
The moment Carlos Sainz hit the manhole cover😱😱#LasVegasGP #f1lasvegas #CarlosSainz #LasVegasGrandPrix pic.twitter.com/InRv6dUPP3
— Yusuf Tanşu (@YusufTanu2) November 17, 2023
Furthermore, the collision not only stopped FP1 after nearly ten minutes but also resulted in massive delays for FP2. The FP2 started after 2 AM local time and took place without the presence of fans in the stands due to security and logistical reasons. The way the Las Vegas GP weekend has begun, it does not bode well for F1, who believed that the race in the Sin City will be one of the key events of the year.
