There is no denying that the Las Vegas Grand Prix is making people talk about it. Unfortunately, not in a positive way. An unpleasant episode has in fact led to suspension early FP1 in Las Vegas and a considerable delay in the start of FP2 which started at 2 local time, at the limit before normal traffic resumes on the streets of Las Vegas at 30. This also forced the organization to send the spectators at home, it being too late. The reason for this delay and all this chaos? The safety of the circuit, which, being a citizen, offers various difficulties including manholes.
Just one of these caused a lot of damage as soon as the cars started rolling. The most affected drivers were Carlos Sainz, and Esteban Ocon. Both of them in contact with the manhole in a straight line damaged the bottom. This forced teams to replace the chassis. Sainz was even more unlucky because he also lost his engine and battery. And precisely for this reason the Spaniard faces one penalty by 10 positions on the starting grid. So there's nothing for Carlos to do. The team had requested an exemption given that the damage was caused by a track safety issue.
However, the stewards ruled that even if the damage was caused by an external object, the regulation must still be applied as written. They also argue that they do not have the authority to grant the exemption.
Among the most controversial opinions on the Las Vegas Grand Prix is certainly that of Max Verstappen who defined it as 99% show and 1% sport. Well, so far Max has been right. We definitely saw more entertainment off the track than on the track. So let's see what happened in this second, or rather first, actual free practice session in Las Vegas, for 90 minutes.
Finally we get on track
With a total delay of 2 and a half hours, the cars are ready to return to the track for FP2 in Las Vegas. Ferrari managed to complete the work on Sainz's SF-23 who took to the track together with his teammate. The Spaniard will receive a 10-place grid penalty and this complicates Ferrari's weekend. The Maranello team had requested an exemption, which was not granted by the FIA. Many in the paddock supported Ferrari.
The McLarens also took to the track with Norris, forced to stop after just five minutes, and all the other single-seaters. The session which began at 2am local time predicted a further drop in temperatures. In fact, there are several riders who have felt the effects of a track without grip, including blockages and crashes.
Meanwhile, Zak Brown communicates that the reason for McLaren's stop was due to a reset of the cars' cooling system software, which was subsequently resolved. However, the two McLaren squires were unable to go beyond eleventh place.
After forty minutes of activity the top 5 is made up of Leclerc, Hamilton, Sainz, Verstappen and Russell, all on the soft. As the activity on the track continues, conditions will improve, with more rubber on the track. Ferrari is evaluating two different rear wings in this session, a more loaded one on Carlos Sainz's car and a less loaded one similar to the one seen in Monza. The Maranello team put in several laps confirming the good pace in both the fast and slow sections, not too far from Red Bull. Fernando Alonso also performed excellently, third on the red tire behind Sainz and Leclerc. Too bad about Sainz's penalty. At the end of the qualifying simulation the top 5 is therefore made up of Leclerc, Sainz, Alonso, Perez and Bottas.
An important issue with such long straights will be the usefulness of the slipstream, especially in qualifying.
Despite the length of the session, only the last 15 minutes of FP2 in Las Vegas are dedicated to race pace. The first to try their hand are the two Ferraris and Hamilton. Leclerc takes to the track with the mediums for the last 10 minutes. Zhou completed 10 laps on the Softs, which did not go beyond 11 laps. An important reference for the race. Bottas instead takes to the track with the whites. At this stage several riders experience graining. Once the time is up, at 4:01 local time, the activity on the track in this strange session ends with the starting tests! Tomorrow there will be one more free practice session before moving on to qualifying.
