Formula One bosses were dealt a hugely embarrassing blow after first practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was cancelled.
The running under the lights of the Las Vegas strip was suspended when Carlos Sainz broke down in his Ferrari with just eight minutes on the clock.
And then 11 minutes later, at 8:49pm local time, it was announced the session would not be resumed – it emerged Sainz’s failure was caused by a loose manhole cover.
Television replays showed Sainz being jolted in his cockpit as the cover struck the underneath of his machine as he approached 200mph on the Las Vegas Boulevard.
Esteban Ocon also smashed into the debris – against the backdrop of Caesars Palace, Bellagio and Venetian hotels – causing significant damage to his Alpine.
Ferrari described the damage to Sainz’s car as “extensive”, while Alpine said Ocon will require a new chassis.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Masseur said: “He (Sainz) said I hit something on track, and he didn’t know what it was. It is just unacceptable for F1.”
An FIA spokesperson said: “Following an inspection, a concrete frame around a manhole cover has failed.
“We now need to check all of the other manhole covers which will take some time.
“We will be discussing with the local circuit engineering team about the length of time it will take to resolve and we will update with any resultant changes to the schedule.”
Second practice is due to begin at midnight local time (8:00 GMT). But there are significant doubts if there will be any running today at the 3.8-mile temporary street venue.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the highly-respected TV pundit and former driver Martin Brundle, said: “That’s it for today from my experience.
“Fixing that and checking everything else, letting it dry and making sure it won’t come out again is going to be a big job.
“Theoretically, they are going to re-open the Strip (for public use) after the F1 practice sessions. That is a very, very big issue if there are other areas like that around the track.”
The problems of loose manhole covers at street venues is not a new one in the sport.
Jenson Button struck a dislodged drain in practice in Monaco in 2016, while George Russell also ran over a drain cover in Azerbaijan four years ago.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said on Sky: “It’s a shame that we are not allowed on track.
“They are going to have to check all the manhole covers and weld them or do something because you can see the damage that it has done.
“It’s a great shame for the fans but safety comes first. We have got to get this right and hopefully it won’t take too long.”
The cancellation of opening practice comes 24 hours after triple world champion criticised the staging of the Las Vegas Grand Prix – the first here in four decades and maiden event on the strip – as “99 per cent show, and one per cent sport”.
Horner hints Perez 'knows the situation' amid Red Bull exit talks
Christian Horner hinted that Sergio Perez's Red Bull future is up to the driver himself amid rumours he will lose his seat after this weekend's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Perez has been under pressure for most of this season after scoring just 152 of Red Bull's 581 points and rarely getting near team-mate Max Verstappen, despite starting strong.
He finished on the podium in four of the first five races of the campaign, netting him a two-year contract extension in June.
However, the Mexican endured another tough weekend in Qatar, failing to finish the race, which meant that Red Bull are now officially out of the hunt for the constructor's title.
Perez has now retired from 37 races, four of which have been this year. Only in 2012 (six) has he had more in one year in the competition (also four in 2014).
Despite having a drive on paper for the 2025 season, Horner conceded to Sky Sports F1 that his lack of results of late have cost the team.
"Checo has been a wonderful driver for us. Certainly, in 2021, 2022, 2023, he contributed to Max's championship in 2021 and the constructors' in 2022 and 2023," Horner said.
"Most of all, he's a great guy. He's not enjoying the situation he's in at the moment. He knows the pressure of this business.
"We are going to give him all the support we can all the way to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi. What he decides to do, that will be his decision at the end of the day.
"He's old enough and wise enough to come to his own conclusions. There's still a race to go."
RB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are the two leading candidates to replace Perez at Red Bull for 2025.
Tsunoda will drive the main Red Bull car for the first time in his career at the post-season Abu Dhabi Test next Tuesday.
The Japanese driver has also got the better of Lawson in their five events as team-mates at RB, following Daniel Ricciardo's departure in September.
FIA stands by Lando Norris penalty at Qatar GP
The FIA is standing by its decision to penalise McLaren driver Lando Norris at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Norris was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to lift the throttle while double yellow flags were being waved.
The 25-year-old dropped from second to last among the remaining drivers, with the decision having a big impact in the Constructors' Championship battle.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the penalty as "brutal" in an interview with Sky Sports and accused officials of lacking consistency.
Lando Norris collected what could prove to be a crucial bonus point in his and McLaren's quest for constructors' glory
Join @LandoNorris as he scoops the DHL Fastest Lap in Qatar! Full 2024 leaderboard https://t.co/sOAsD9IxzG#F1 #MomentsThatDeliver @DHL_Motorsports pic.twitter.com/k5ryP7jgCk
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 2, 2024
However, in a statement released on Monday, F1's governing body explained why the decision was the correct one.
"The penalty was in accordance with the penalty guidelines circulated to the teams on 19 February 2024," part of the statement read.
"A double yellow flag infringement is considered a serious compromise of safety, which is why such offences carry such a severe penalty."
The FIA went on to state that the specific scenario would be reviewed and a new process may be established down the line.
McLaren's lead over Ferrari has been cut to 21 points heading into the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
Verstappen has "lost all respect" for Russell after Qatar GP penalty
Max Verstappen has "lost all respect" for George Russell after the Mercedes driver's role in demoting the four-time world champion from pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Russell was promoted to pole, but it was Verstappen who crossed the finish line first, joined by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Oscar Piastri on the podium.
Verstappen was slapped with a rare one-place grid penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding Russell in qualifying, although the stewards, after a hearing attended by both drivers, said there were mitigating circumstances as neither driver was on a flying lap.
"I was quite surprised, when sitting there in the stewards' room, what was all going on," Verstappen told Sky Sports after winning Sunday's race.
"It was honestly very disappointing, because I think all of us here, we respect each other a lot.
"I've been in that meeting room many times in my life and my career with people that I've raced. And I've never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. For me, I lost all respect.
"I couldn't believe that I got [the penalty]. But in a way, I was also not surprised anymore in the world that I live in.
"I'm not happy with it, but at one point or another you have to just turn the page.
"It wasn't very enjoyable to see that happen because I think that's the first time that in a slow lap someone has been penalised.
"Actually, I just tried to be nice, so maybe I shouldn't be nice. I didn't want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap. And by doing that, being nice, basically you get a penalty."
Verstappen's win in Qatar saw him become only the third driver in Formula One history to break the 3,000 points barrier, joining Lewis Hamilton (4,847.50) and Sebastian Vettel (3,098) in achieving the feat.
Meanwhile, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that the 27-year-old driver used the incident as a fuel to breeze to a ninth victory of the season.
"He was annoyed with George, and the way things played out in front of the stewards. And he carried that motivation into the race," Horner said.
"It was clearly evident that he was super-motivated going into this race.
"I think you could sense that George kind of sensed that as well. I think there was a little bit of a moment between the two of them on the trailer as they went around the circuit, that Max felt that things just went a bit too far."
The 2024 F1 season will conclude this weekend with the Abu Dhabi GP, with McLaren and Ferrari still battling for the Constructors' Championship.
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