Formula 1’s return to Las Vegas lasted only 15 minutes in Practice 1 after an incident for Carlos Sainz.
After all the hype, it was finally time for the drivers to get their first taste of the new street circuit, with Lance Stroll taking the honour of being the first car on track.
However, the grip was very low in the early minutes on the newly resurfaced track, particularly around the Sphere section.
Charles Leclerc would be the first to gain some speed, setting the pace on a 1m40.909s while the rest were several seconds behind.
And that would be it after Carlos Sainz hit a loose drain cover on the Strip, causing a red flag.
? RED FLAG ?
Carlos Sainz has pulled over to the side of the track #F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/1OV6OIE2Xa
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 17, 2023
Alpine later confirmed Esteban Ocon will also need a new chassis after hitting the same drain cover with the FIA suspending the session to conduct investigations and repairs.