On Friday evening, Formula 1 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix released a lengthy statement to address the issues that occurred during free practice on Thursday night.
Nine minutes into the opening practice session, in a now internet-infamous moment, Carlos Sainz hit a water valve cover in his Ferrari while speeding down the Strip straightaway on the 3.8-mile Las Vegas street course. The contact with the drain cover caused significant damage to the Ferrari and thus required extensive repairs.
(Sainz was later dealt a 10-position grid penalty for changing power unit components, despite the fact that they were damaged by the water valve cover. Ferrari submitted a request for the series to allow a replacement of the Energy Store from outside the pool without penalty, but it was denied.)
The incident caused a two-and-a-half hour delay before drivers were able to get back on track for the second free practice run, which started at approximately 2:30 a.m. (PT). However, to add to the debacle, fans were forced to leave the grandstands prior to the green flag on FP2.
Meaning, fans who bought tickets for Thursday practice only saw about eight minutes of on-track time.
Following the unfavorable turn of events, Renee Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, released a lengthy statement to the public on Friday evening.
“Our top priority at Formula 1 is the safety and security of our drivers, employees and fans. Responsibility for the oversight of a Formula 1 event falls with Formula 1 as the commercial rights holder of the sport, the FIA as the regulatory body and the local promoter, in this case the Las Vegas Grand Prix. This is important for those who are new to racing to understand,” the statement read.
They then shifted their focus to the water valve cover and their immediate reaction to the incident.
“At that time the FIA, which is responsible for the safe running of the activities on the circuit, stopped the session so that we could look at the broken water valve cover and inspect the track. This has happened on occasion at other tracks at other races around the world,” the statement continued.
It was mentioned that the entire process, from determining the issue to fixing it, took about five hours.
Wilm and Domenicali then addressed the fan experience. While there was a lot said, there was one statement in particular that has resounded with fans and critics via social media.
“We have all been to events, like concerts, games and even other Formula 1 races, that have been cancelled because of factors like weather or technical issues. It happens, and we hope people will understand,” the statement read. “Let’s get back to racing.”
Read the full statement below.
.@F1 and @F1LasVegas release a joint lengthy statement about last night's issues. pic.twitter.com/LjhN5Kvq3G
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) November 17, 2023