F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: FP1 Cancelled as Track Issues Cause Heavy Damage to Carlos Sainz's Ferrari SF-23

The Las Vegas Grand Prix's first practice session stopped early due to an incident involving Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. Nine minutes into the first practice session, the Ferrari driver stopped at Turn 17. Footage from his SF-23 showed that his engine cut out after hitting something in the road. Sainz was able to get out of the car without any help, but this was still a major setback for the Spanish driver after only three laps.

Sainz's engine appeared to cut out as he was entering the last sector, suggesting that he had bottomed out against something (possibly a drain cover). A yellow flag was waved in the direction of the parked Ferrari, and then a red flag was waved to bring an immediate halt to all activity on the Strip. Despite having 40 minutes left on the clock, stewards determined a safety issue with the circuit, preventing the session from resuming. The FIA later confirmed that they are investigating an issue with a drain cover, with Esteban Ocon also suffering damage from a similar incident.

Looks like a bump on the track has caused Sainz's car to switch off #F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/HBW0otcYhk

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 17, 2023

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F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Free Practice 1 Result

In terms of lap times, Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets, showcasing an impressive lead of 2.5 seconds over Nico Hulkenberg. It's important to note that these lap times may be considered unrepresentative due to the limited running during the session.

Pos	Drivers	Team	Time
1	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1m40.909s
2	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	1m43.446s
3	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1m44.261s
4	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1m44.397s
5	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1m45.365s
6	George Russell	Mercedes	1m45.497s
7	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1m45.824s
8	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1m45.908s
9	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	1m46.793s
10	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo	1m47.147s
11	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1m48.253s
12	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1m48.513s
13	Daniel Ricciardo	AlphaTauri	1m48.650s
14	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo	1m48.822s
15	Lando Norris	McLaren	1m48.947s
16	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	No Time Set
17	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	No Time Set
18	Alex Albon	Williams	No Time Set
19	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	No Time Set
20	Logan Sargeant	Williams	No Time Set

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F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023: About the Nevada Street Circuit

The Las Vegas Grand Prix is shaping up to be a highlight of the Formula 1 season, and it's being touted as one of the most anticipated FIA-sanctioned races. The track's attractiveness, in addition to the city of Las Vegas's own magnetic appeal, helps to increase anticipation for the show. The course, which is 6.20 km long and has 17 turns (one of which is the world-famous Las Vegas Boulevard), is widely praised and debated among racing fans.

The track's similarities to Monza, especially in the straights, make it a difficult test for the teams. Adapting to the necessity of cutting downforce and handling poor grip conditions becomes a critical component of the plan as teams battle with the distinctive characteristics of the Las Vegas GP.