F1 cancels first Las Vegas Grand Prix practice after eight minutes due to water valve cover on track

If you were up in the early morning hours to catch FP1 of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, you were probably a little less than excited. The first practice session of this spectacle of racing was cut short after just eight minutes. For those that had complaints about NASCAR in Chicago, at least this didn’t happen.

Of course, everything is going to be just fine for F1 in Las Vegas. A lot of people don’t pay attention to the practice sessions. However, it is not ideal. Carlos Sainz was making his way around the course and went over a water valve cover. Sparks flew from the back of his car as he took some damage.

Here’s what it looked like from Sainz’s perspective.

The moment Carlos Sainz hit a drain cover on the Las Vegas strip, causing FP1 to be cancelled 👀 pic.twitter.com/KIMbuZoteY

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) November 17, 2023

The Las Vegas Grand Prix is designed to be more than a race. It is a show, entertainment, and it is meant to solidify F1 in America. Right now, the issues with the event seem to be the high price to attend, the late night hours to race, and now issues with the track.

F1 fans and detractors were on social media decrying the mistake. F1 has had similar issues before. The one thing people really didn’t like, fans were told to leave the viewing areas. There was a statement made about the decision.

F1 releases statement on Las Vegas Grand Prix issue

There were a lot of jokes made last night. The motorsports world went into a frenzy as the decision was made to cancel FP1. The good news, if you woke up early enough or stayed up super late, you were able to catch FP2. Not in the fan zones, though.

“There is no higher priority at a Formula 1 ace than the safety and security of drivers, fans and staff alike,” F1 said in a statement. “Following last night’s incident involving a water valve cover, the Las Vegas Grand Prix, F1 and the FIA decided to take extra precautions to ensure the integrity of the track prior to the resumption of racing. These additional measures required multiple hours to fully compete which led to a significant delay in the race schedule.

“Given the lateness of the hour and logistical concerns regarding the safe movement of fans and employees out of the circuit, LVGP made the difficult decision to close the fan zones prior to the beginning of Free Practice 2. With a full round of practice successfully completed, LVGP looks forward to providing a safe and entertaining race weekend for all.”

A rough start to the weekend, for sure. The Las Vegas Grand Prix could still have a big weekend. Also, Carlos Sainz was penalized for using an additional power unit element after the damage to his car. He is now over his penalty-free limit for the 2023 season.