The first day of track time for the Las Vegas GP definitely didn’t go according to plan for Formula 1 and Liberty Media.
The first practice session of the day had to be stopped due to unsafe track conditions in the form of cylindrical manholes sticking out of the track, endangering the cars and drivers in Vegas.
Three drivers picked up damage in the ten minutes of running time: Zhou Gunayu, Esteban Ocon, and Carlos Sainz, who had the most consequences out of the three and was forced to pick up many new components, including a new battery, earning himself a ten-place starting grid penalty.
The start of FP2 was delayed in order to find a solution to the issue. Ultimately, all the manholes toppers were removed and filled with cement, allowing all 20 drivers to return on track for an extended 90 minutes session to familiarise themselves with the new layout.
The very late session began at 2:30am local time, and the cars ran in front of empty grandstands, as all the fans and VIP guests had been forced to leave earlier with no talk of refunds.
However, not everyone was left dissatisfied with the scarce running seen on this inaugural track day.
Mercedes’s Team Principal Toto Wolff was adamant in saying that all the troubles and problems encountered so far by the teams, fans and drivers should not mar the image of the prestigious sporting event:
“That is not a black eye. This is nothing. We are Thursday night, we have a Free Practice 1 session that we’re not doing. They’re going to seal the drain covers and nobody’s going to talk about that tomorrow morning anymore,” he said during the very late press conference held before FP2.
Photo credit: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
Wolff was very vocal in voicing his support to the new event and its race promoters, recalling the fact that what happened has already been seen on a number of occasions at first-time street circuits and that all difficulties will be solved by the time of lights out:
“It’s completely ridiculous, completely ridiculous! FP1, how can you even dare trying to talk bad about an event that sets the new standards, new standards to everything.
“And then you’re speaking about a f***ing drain cover that’s been undone, that has happened before. That’s nothing. It’s FP1. Give credit to the people that have set up this Grand Prix, that have made the sport much bigger than it ever was.”
Among the praise towards all the work done in the past years in order to get the track ready for running, the Austrian TP also mentioned the importance of the staff that manged to find a very last minute solution to the manhole issue, which allowed the teams to get a bit more knowledge of the 14-turn long track.
“Have you ever spoken good about someone and written a good word? You should, about all these people that have been out here. Liberty has done an awesome job. And just because in FP1 a drain cover has become undone, we shouldn’t be moaning.”
He also expressed his empathy for the Ferrari driver’s very dangerous contact with the loose cover, which left a staggering hole in his SF-23 very close to his seat:
“The car is broken, that’s really a shame. For Carlos, it could have been dangerous, so between the FIA and the track and everybody needs to analyse how we can make sure that this is not happening again.
“But talking here about a black eye for the sport on a Thursday evening. Nobody watches that in European time anyway,” he concluded, implying that his belief is that everything has been solved and all will be forgotten by Qualifying time.
His former colleague, now Williams’ Team Principal James Vowles, summarised his words asking for a bit more time before labelling the whole event a disaster:
“I’d probably just add, judge us by what happens when the chequered flag falls on Saturday, rather than what’s just happened in the last half an hour.”
Wolff concluded reaffirming his opinion: “Bravo, much more eloquently said than me, but that’s the point.”
