Las Vegas GP | First free practice cancelled after ten minutes

After 10 minutes of racing at the Las Vegas circuit, it was already over: Formula 1 announced that the first free practice session was cancelled following an incident involving Carlos Sainz.

Of course, it was no surprise: the drivers who took to the track in the early stages of practice complained about the almost total lack of grip. At 16.6 degrees Celsius, it was also exceptionally cool - by F1 standards - and it will only cool further during the evening.

With a brand new track, the drivers naturally wanted to drive as many laps as possible in order to collect the necessary data. That was not possible for Ferrari. Carlos Sainz went over a bump in the middle of the track, and the impact was so hard that it probably broke the floor of his car. Undoubtedly, Sainz's back also took a big hit.

Manhole cover came loose

The FIA immediately decided to raise a red flag, also because Sainz had parked his car in an awkward spot. Barely a few minutes later, the FIA decided to cancel the entire session. The stewards wanted to go to the circuit to see for themselves what was going on with the track. It soon became apparent that a manhole cover had come loose and had to be reattached.

Alpine also subsequently reported that there was damage to one of their cars. The French announced that Esteban Ocon's chassis needs to be replaced.