In connection with Carlos Sainz‘s vehicle damage at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Frederic Vasseur has filed a compensation request with the authorities. The Frenchman has voiced his discontent, blaming the FIA for being a major contributor to the unexpected collision that Sainz encountered during FP1.
According to the Ferrari boss, Sainz’s vehicle sustained serious damage because of the loose manhole cover, including a cracked floor, a broken gearbox, a damaged battery, and a stalled engine. Unfortunately, this incident is expected to have a significant financial impact on the team as Vasseur revealed in his interview with Motorsports.com.
Given Ferrari’s limited financial resources, the 55-year-old stressed the seriousness of the issue. He said, ” There is no exception in the budget cap for these types of crashes.”
Nevertheless, because of the FIA’s avoidance, Sainz faced a challenging race. On a track where Ferrari expected a strong performance, Sainz’s 10-place grid penalty resulted in a disappointing P6 finish. This unjust penalty has triggered Vasseur’s fury.
According to the boss, the survival cell, internal combustion engine, and control electronics all required expensive repairs. Considering this, Vasseur also pointed out that Ferrari’s situation is becoming worse because these expenses are not covered under the budget cap.
Vasseur said that the FIA took several minutes to end the session, even after Sainz hit the cover, which he considered unacceptable. He said, ” There was also something like a minute between the yellow and the red flag.”
How will Ferrari pay for the expenses after Carlos Sainz’s penalty?
The damage sustained at the Las Vegas Grand Prix is posing obstacles to Ferrari’s ongoing development of the SF23. They were heavily depending on the car to be at its best ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi. As a result of what happened in Vegas, Ferrari could pay for a mistake that they didn’t commit.
Considering this Vasseur emphasizes the incident has wide-ranging consequences, impacting the team financially, in sporting aspects, and concerning spare parts. Recognizing the difficulties Ferrari will face in the aftermath, the Frenchman expresses concern, stating that dealing with the budget cap won’t be a straightforward task. However Sainz wasn’t the only one who suffered significant harm, Esteban Ocon of Alpine was also caught up in the unfortunate event.
Concluding the discussion, Vasseur said, ” They didn’t tell us anything. We didn’t know the reason for the yellow flag either. So I’m angrier about the way the incident was handled than I am about the incident itself.”
Although Sainz’s accident might have cost Ferrari the opportunity to overtake Mercedes, it will be interesting to witness how the prancing horse competes in Abu Dhabi to wrap off the season.
