The Ferrari team was having one of its most promising weekends in the Formula 1 season, as Charles Leclerc set a great pace, closing the first day of testing as pole contender.
But just when it looked like Carlos Sainz would also shine, the weekend turned into disappointment for the Spaniard as his Ferrari switched off after going over an open pit at the Vegas circuit.
Sainz already with an absurd decision by the FiA has been penalized with 10 places for Sunday's race, since after the incident on the track Ferrari was forced to change a number of engine components.
The moment Carlos Sainz hit a drain cover on the Las Vegas strip, causing FP1 to be canceled ???? pic.twitter.com/KIMbuZoteY
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) November 17, 2023
Sainz was stopped in the early stages of Thursday's practice after a drain plug destroyed his car's chassis and caused significant damage to his Ferrari's engine and electrical package. The pilot himself suffered back pain from the incident.
Ferrari submitted a request to the track stewards asking for a "derogation from the sporting regulations, to allow the replacement of the electrical package and engine without penalty, but this was not granted.
After listening to Ferrari's complaints and after seeing video evidence and examining the damage to Sainz's car, the steering panel decided to follow the rules by penalizing the Spaniard, despite the incompetence of the stewards and the mismanagement of the Vegas circuit forcing him to make changes to the car.
" The stewards determine that regardless of 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 written. Therefore, the mandatory penalty specified in Article 28.3 of the Sporting Regulations must be applied ," the FIA decision states. (A2 Televizion)
