Las Vegas Grand Prix Practice Disrupted by Maintenance Cover
The Las Vegas Grand Prix faced yet another setback during practice sessions, with a maintenance cover causing disruptions and halting the action twice for inspections. This incident, which occurred on Thursday night, highlights the challenges of managing street circuits and the potential impact on race proceedings.
The inaugural race in 2023 was already marred by a similar issue, where a loose cover damaged Carlos Sainz Jr.’s car just nine minutes into the first practice session. The cover, which is part of the maintenance infrastructure, caused significant delays, with repairs and inspections taking over two hours. This led to a postponement of the next practice session until after 2 a.m., causing inconvenience to spectators and disrupting the race schedule.
This year, the issue resurfaced during the second practice session, with a marshal reporting a possible loose maintenance cover near Turn 17. The FIA, the governing body for F1, had to red flag the session due to the lack of video evidence to determine the issue. This allowed race control personnel to physically examine the site, and after the inspection, the FIA assured that the session could resume.
However, the cover continued to cause problems, with inspectors reporting movement as cars passed over it. The session was again halted, and the FIA announced that inspections would continue ahead of Friday night qualifying. Despite the disruptions, Lando Norris of McLaren maintained his lead in the second session, showcasing the resilience of the drivers and the team.
This incident underscores the importance of maintaining and inspecting street circuits to ensure the safety and smooth progression of races. The Las Vegas Grand Prix organizers will need to address these maintenance challenges to provide a seamless experience for both drivers and spectators.