FIA takes action after ‘track maintenance’ issue interrupts Las Vegas GP FP2

The FIA has moved to explain why Free Practice 2 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix ended under red flag.

Two interruptions late in the second hour of practice cost the teams track time when an eagle-eyed marshal spotted an issue with the track.

Loose manhole prompts FIA to take immediate action

Shortly after Free Practice 2 concluded, a statement from the FIA confirmed that a manhole cover was to blame for the early end to proceedings.

Moments earlier, the session had been restarted following concerns raised by a trackside marshal that a manhole cover on approach to Turn 17 had come loose.

“Following a marshal report of a possible loose manhole cover before Turn 17, Race Control were unable to confirm this information from the CCTV available,” and FIA statement received by PlanetF1.com confirmed during the first red flag period.

“The session has been red flagged as a precautionary measure and Race Control personnel are currently on site assessing the situation.”

During that stoppage, officials visited and inspected the manhole in question, satisfying themselves that it was safe for running to resume.

Free Practice 2 did so with four minutes remaining, though proceedings were quickly halted once more.

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While there was no immediate explanation forthcoming, television broadcasts claimed it was for ‘track maintenance’.

That was subsequently confirmed via a statement from the FIA three minutes after the session formally ended.

“Some Race Control personnel remained on-site when the session was restarted,” the statement said.

“They reported that the manhole cover was moving as cars passed over it, which led to the session being ended under red-flag conditions. Further inspections are underway.”

It’s not the first time there have been concerns regarding manhole covers in Las Vegas, with Carlos Sainz having come a cropper in the inaugural event.

The opening practice session of the weekend in 2023 was aborted on safety grounds after just seven minutes when the floor on Sainz’s Ferrari was broken by the loose manhole.

Images at the time showed Sainz could see the ground as he sat in the car, the impact breaking his seat along with several engine components.

It resulted in the Spaniard picking up a controversial 10-place penalty after he was forced to take a new battery following the incident.

“Notwithstanding the fact that the damage was caused by highly unusual external circumstances, Article 2.1 of the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations obliges all officials, including the stewards, to apply the regulations as they are written,” officials noted at the time.

“Accordingly, the mandatory penalty specified under Article 28.3 of the Sporting Regulations must be applied.”

Rubbing further salt into the wound for Ferrari was that the Scuderia was forced to wear the costs associated with the track fault, especially punishing in the cost cap era.

In 2017, a similar instance for Romain Grosjean at the Malaysian Grand prix inflicted €650,000 worth of damage, though the event’s insurance ultimately covered that.

It’s against that backdrop that, with evidence of a loose manhole cover, the decision was taken in the first instance to stop running and inspect in the first instance, before calling a second halt when it was clear the situation had not improved.

The delay impacted F1 Academy qualifying, which followed Free Practice 2, though lasted only two minutes before track action resumed.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix is promoted by Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of Formula 1.

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