The Las Vegas Grand Prix’s second practice session was halted twice and eventually ended early due to a loose drain cover, reminiscent of a similar issue in 2023, disrupting teams’ preparations and raising safety concerns.
On Thursday evening, during the second practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a red flag was deployed approximately 20 minutes before the scheduled end after a marshal reported concerns about a loose maintenance cover near the final corner, Turn 17. Race control immediately sent personnel to inspect the cover, and after a 15-minute halt, they issued a statement confirming that the session could resume as the cover was deemed secure.
However, when the session restarted, officials who had remained on site observed that the manhole cover was moving significantly as cars passed over it at high speed. This prompted race control to fly the red flag again, and with only a few minutes remaining, the session was effectively ended, leaving many teams without valuable track time. An FIA statement later confirmed that further inspections were underway to address the issue.
The incident brought back memories of the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, where a similar problem occurred during the first practice session. In that case, a water valve cover came loose and damaged the underside of Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari, leading to the cancellation of the session and a delay until the early hours of the next morning for FP2. Such issues are not uncommon at street circuits, where the aerodynamic forces of F1 cars can dislodge fixed elements not subjected to such stresses in regular use.
In terms of performance, McLaren’s Lando Norris set the fastest time of 1:33.602, narrowly beating Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 0.029 seconds, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in third, 0.161 seconds off the pace. The disruptions meant that several top drivers, including Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, did not get the opportunity to run on the soft tyres, which could affect their qualifying preparations.
The session was also impacted by cooler conditions and light rain at the start, which made the track slippery and reduced grip levels. Despite the early end to FP2, the F1 Academy qualifying session proceeded with only a minor delay, starting 32 minutes after FP2 ended, as the issue was specific to the F1 track area.
With the championship battle intensifying—Norris leads Piastri by 24 points with three races to go—every practice session is crucial for fine-tuning cars and strategies. The recurrence of drain cover problems has raised concerns about the circuit’s readiness, and officials are now tasked with a thorough inspection of all similar covers to ensure safety for the remaining sessions.
The implications of this incident extend beyond immediate safety, as it could influence team tactics and the overall race weekend dynamics. If similar issues arise during qualifying or the race, it could lead to further disruptions, penalties, or even accidents, highlighting the need for robust track maintenance protocols in Formula 1.
