Published on: November 21, 2025, 11:47h.
Updated on: November 21, 2025, 12:05h.
- Thursday night’s practice for the upcoming F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix was prematurely halted due to a loose manhole cover.
- F1 had previously encountered similar manhole cover issues during the 2023 race in Las Vegas.
The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, set for its main event on Saturday night, faced disruption yet again due to a loose manhole cover. The second practice session on Thursday night had to pause twice and was ultimately ended prematurely under red flag conditions.
With only 20 minutes remaining in the session, a marshal from the FIA, F1’s governing body, raised a flag concerning a potentially loose manhole cover near Turn 17, situated close to Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Officials looked into the matter and allowed cars back on the track with six minutes remaining, but the issue lingered, with the manhole cover moving under the weight of the cars.
A second red flag ultimately ended the session just two minutes short of conclusion, with the FIA vowing to conduct further inspections prior to the qualifying race on Friday night.
Déjà Vu with Drain Issues
Eyes turned immediately to the chaotic inaugural 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, which faced havoc just eight minutes into its opening practice when a loose manhole cover was sucked into Carlos Sainz Jr.’s Ferrari, necessitating a red flag while teams rapidly checked all manhole covers along the 3.8-mile circuit.
This incident caused significant damage to the car’s floor and impacted the power unit, leading Ferrari to replace several components. Due to stringent F1 regulations, this replacement resulted in a grid penalty for Sainz, affecting his race weekend negatively.
Fans who had purchased tickets to observe the session were also disadvantaged, as delays for repairs and inspections kept them waiting for over two hours before being escorted from the stands at 1:30 am. (F1 did offer each fan $200 in merchandise vouchers as compensation.)
Fortunately, last year’s practice sessions were smooth, as was Thursday’s initial session, where Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc clocked the fastest lap. McLaren’s Lando Norris, the current leader in F1 points, topped the disrupted second session.
Practice sessions generally do not determine grid placements; instead, they serve as critical rehearsals for teams to evaluate vehicles, tire options, and fuel setups. Still, drivers recognize the importance of Thursday’s 8 pm practice session, as it mimics the conditions for Friday’s qualifying and Saturday’s main races.
Manhole Troubles on Street Circuits
The issue of manhole covers presents a unique challenge in street circuits. Unlike most F1 races that take place on constructed, dedicated tracks (such as Silverstone, Suzuka, and Monza), a total of six events, including Las Vegas, occur on transformed public roads where manhole covers and access panels are embedded in the asphalt and require welding or reinforcement before the race.
While there haven’t been any headline F1 events canceled due to manhole cover troubles, a 2019 practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku was similarly halted when George Russell’s Williams Racing FW42 hit one.