F1 offers fans $200 store voucher after Las Vegas track malfunction
Just eight minutes into Thursday night’s first practice ahead of this Las Vegas Grand Prix, F1 canceled the session after a manhole cover caused damage to a Ferrari car. It was cut short because the clock doesn’t stop after a red flag during practice, which meant it would take to long to fix it.
For fans who had single-day passes, it meant the night ended in disappointment as they were told to clear the circuit. F1 tried to remedy the situation, though, by offering $200 vouchers for the official race store, according to The Athletic’s Luke Smith. The organization still hasn’t issued an apology, though.
F1 has been planning for its race across Las Vegas for some time, and construction went on through the summer to get The Strip ready for the $500 million race. However, it didn’t get off to a good start after driver Carlos Sainz drove over a loose sewer cover. That caused damage to the engine, battery and monocoque, according to ESPN.
In a joint statement, F1 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix said they will look into the issue.
“After inspection by Formula 1 and the FIA, a single water valve cover on the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit failed during the first practice session,” the statement read, via ESPN.
“The FIA, F1 and local circuit engineering teams are actively working to review and address the issue.”
The second free practice wound up starting at 2:30 a.m. PT, but only went for 90 minutes because it had to wrap up by 4 a.m. to free the roads for commuters.
F1’s CEO and the CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix then released a lengthy statement on Friday about the situation, detailing steps they will take to ensure Friday’s practice goes forward as planned.
“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, in part, via ESPN. “So how will we address this tonight? We have worked overnight to adjust our staffing plans across security, transportation and hospitality to ensure that we can function and serve fans with the best possible experience in the event of an extended race schedule.
“We are excited about the racing today and thank our entire team and our fans for their support. We know this is going to be a great event. With that let’s get back to racing.”