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Toto Wolff furiously declared the drain cover incident which cancelled first practice at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as “nothing” in a passionate defence of Formula 1. F1’s return to Vegas for the first time in 41 years started in farcical fashion on Thursday night when FP1 was cancelled after just eight minutes. Carlos Sainz sustained significant damage to his Ferrari car after driving over the loose cover at over 200mph, with team boss Fred Vasseur raging afterwards. Asked whether the session cancellation was a “black eye” for the sport, Wolff was stern in his response. “That is not a black eye, this is nothing,” the Mercedes boss said. “It is a Thursday night. We have a free practice 1 that we’re not doing, they’re going to seal the drain covers. Nobody is going to talk about that tomorrow morning.” Yet when prompted by a journalist saying it’s “absolutely rubbish”, Wolff erupted in the team principals’ press conference. “It’s completely ridiculous,” he said. “How can you even dare talk bad about an event that sets the new standards to everything? “And then you’re speaking about a f****** drain cover that’s come undone, that’s nothing. It’s FP1, give credit to the people that have set up this grand prix. That have made this sport much bigger than it ever was. “Have you ever spoken about someone or written a good word? You should about all these people that have been out here. Liberty [F1 owners] have done an awesome job and just because in FP1 a drain cover has come undone we shouldn’t be moaning. “The car is broken. That’s really a shame, for Carlos it could have been dangerous. Between the FIA and the track we need to analyse to make sure this doesn’t happen again. “But talking here about a black eye for the sport on a Thursday evening? Nobody watches that in European time anyway!” Read More Ferrari boss rages at F1 after ‘unacceptable’ loose drain cover wrecks Sainz’s car Las Vegas Grand Prix practice cancelled in farcical start to F1’s newest race F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Practice updates and times in Sin City

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was scathing of Formula 1 after Carlos Sainz’s car was substantially damaged mere minutes into practice in Las Vegas. F1’s newest race started in farcical fashion on Thursday night after first practice was stopped following just eight minutes due to a loose drain cover on the Vegas strip section of the circuit. Sainz’s Ferrari car drove right over the manhole at more than 200mph, causing damage to the floor. The Spaniard stopped his car on the side of the track. The session was red-flagged and Vasseur labelled the incident “unacceptable” in the team principals’ press conference afterwards. “What he [Carlos] said was ‘I hit something on track.’ He didn’t know exactly what it was.,” said Vasseur. “The situation is that we’ve changed the monocoque, the engine, the battery - I think it’s just unacceptable. “We’ve f***ed up the session for Carlos. He won’t be part of FP2 for sure. “We have to change the chassis of the car. I think it’s just unacceptable from F1 today.” More to follow... Read More Las Vegas Grand Prix practice cancelled in farcical start to F1’s newest race F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Practice updates and times in Sin City F1 clothing craze sweeps retailers ahead of Las Vegas Grand Prix

Formula One bosses were dealt a hugely embarrassing blow after first practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was cancelled. The running under the lights of the Las Vegas strip was suspended when Carlos Sainz broke down in his Ferrari with just eight minutes on the clock. And then 11 minutes later, at 8:49pm local time, it was announced the session would not be resumed – it emerged Sainz’s failure was caused by a loose manhole cover. Television replays showed Sainz being jolted in his cockpit as the cover struck the underneath of his machine as he approached 200mph on the Las Vegas Boulevard. Esteban Ocon also smashed into the debris – against the backdrop of Caesars Palace, Bellagio and Venetian hotels – causing significant damage to his Alpine. Ferrari described the damage to Sainz’s car as “extensive”, while Alpine said Ocon will require a new chassis. Ferrari team principal Frederic Masseur said: “He (Sainz) said I hit something on track, and he didn’t know what it was. It is just unacceptable for F1.” An FIA spokesperson said: “Following an inspection, a concrete frame around a manhole cover has failed. “We now need to check all of the other manhole covers which will take some time. “We will be discussing with the local circuit engineering team about the length of time it will take to resolve and we will update with any resultant changes to the schedule.” Second practice is due to begin at midnight local time (8:00 GMT). But there are significant doubts if there will be any running today at the 3.8-mile temporary street venue. Speaking on Sky Sports, the highly-respected TV pundit and former driver Martin Brundle, said: “That’s it for today from my experience. “Fixing that and checking everything else, letting it dry and making sure it won’t come out again is going to be a big job. “Theoretically, they are going to re-open the Strip (for public use) after the F1 practice sessions. That is a very, very big issue if there are other areas like that around the track.” The problems of loose manhole covers at street venues is not a new one in the sport. Jenson Button struck a dislodged drain in practice in Monaco in 2016, while George Russell also ran over a drain cover in Azerbaijan four years ago. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said on Sky: “It’s a shame that we are not allowed on track. “They are going to have to check all the manhole covers and weld them or do something because you can see the damage that it has done. “It’s a great shame for the fans but safety comes first. We have got to get this right and hopefully it won’t take too long.” The cancellation of opening practice comes 24 hours after triple world champion criticised the staging of the Las Vegas Grand Prix – the first here in four decades and maiden event on the strip – as “99 per cent show, and one per cent sport”. Read More Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton ‘counting down days’ to end of season after another poor race Max Verstappen thwarts Lando Norris’ bid for first F1 win with sprint victory On this day in 2015: Susie Wolff ends her bid to get on an F1 starting grid Lando Norris ‘gutted’ to miss out on Brazilian GP pole after McLaren blunder

Formula One bosses were dealt a hugely embarrassing blow after first practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was cancelled. The running under the lights of the Las Vegas strip was initially suspended when Carlos Sainz broke down in his Ferrari with just eight minutes on the clock. And then 11 minutes later at 8:49pm local time, it was announced the session would not be resumed after it emerged Esteban Ocon smashed into a drain cover. An FIA spokesperson said: “Following inspection, it was the concrete frame around a manhole cover that has failed. “We now need to check all of the other manhole covers which will take some time. “We will be discussing with the local circuit engineering team about the length of time it will take to resolve and will update with any resultant changes to the schedule.” Read More Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton ‘counting down days’ to end of season after another poor race

The Las Vegas Grand Prix started in farcical fashion on Thursday night as first practice was cancelled due to a loose drain cover on track. FP1 had only been going for eight minutes under the lights before Carlos Sainz’s car stopped on the long Vegas strip. Replays show his Ferrari car went over a loose drain cover before the Spaniard veered to the side and stopped the car. A red flag was thrown and, shortly after, the stewards announced the session would not resume and are now in a race against time to fix the issue on the surface before second practice starts at midnight, local time (8am GMT). The message from race control said: “Session will not be resumed due to track repairs.” Alpine later announced that Esteban Ocon’s chassis would be changed due to damage from the drain cover. It is a shambolic start to the race weekend for Formula 1, who are the sole promoters of the inaugural race on the streets of Sin City. Fans in the grandstands jeered when the news came over the PA system that the session was aborted. More to follow... Read More F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Practice updates and times in Sin City F1 clothing craze sweeps retailers ahead of Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 drivers have their say on $2bn giant orb lighting up Las Vegas Grand Prix

F1 heads to the US again for the highly-anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix on the world-famous strip and the penultimate race of the 2023 season. Max Verstappen won his 17th grand prix of a sensational season last time out in Brazil, with Lando Norris claiming second place once again and Fernando Alonso clinching third spot ahead of Sergio Perez after a tremendous late battle in Interlagos. Mercedes endured a torrid weekend to forget in Sao Paulo, while Charles Leclerc was forced to retire before the race even began due to a mechanical issue with his Ferrari car. F1 now returns to Vegas for the first time in 41 years for a 50-lap race around the picturesque 3.8-mile, 17-turn circuit. The race has a 10-year contract and will take place under the lights on Saturday night in Sin City. Follow live updates from the Las Vegas Grand Prix with The Independent Read More How Formula 1 cracked America Lewis Hamilton makes F1 ‘circus’ plea after backlash from Las Vegas locals ‘I would not be shocked if King Charles showed up’: Las Vegas opens its doors to Formula One

Lewis Hamilton has told Max Verstappen to stop complaining after his rival criticised Formula One’s maiden race on the Las Vegas strip as “99 per cent show, and one per cent sport”. Verstappen’s controversial remarks – which will irk F1’s American owners’ Liberty Media following their estimated £400million gamble to bring the sport back to Sin City for the first time in 41 years – arrived just moments after a glittering Superbowl-style opening ceremony on Wednesday night. John Legend and Kylie Minogue were among a number of high-profile artists to perform in a dazzling 30-minute show designed to kick-start the penultimate round of the season, billed as the greatest show on earth. The grid’s 20 drivers were also presented to the crowd ahead of Saturday night’s 50-lap race which F1 executives are using to build on the sport’s growing popularity in the United States. The race in Nevada joins Austin and Miami as the third in America. But moments after a fireworks display brought the curtain down on the glittering welcome party, Verstappen, crowned triple world champion in Qatar last month, was quick to pour scorn on the event. “It is 99 per cent show and one per cent sporting event,” said the 26-year-old. “I was just standing up there, looking like a clown. “I guess they (F1) still make money whether I like it or not. So it’s not up to me. But I’m not going to fake it. “I voice my opinion on positive things and negative things. That’s just how I am. And you know, some people like the show a bit more. I don’t like it at all. “I grew up just looking at the performance side of things. And that’s how I see it as well. I like to be in Vegas, but not so much for racing.” However, responding to criticism, Hamilton, 38, said: “I hear there are a lot of people complaining about the direction that (F1 CEO) Stefano (Domenicali) and Liberty has gone. But they are doing an amazing job. “The sport continues to grow. It is a business and you will still see good racing here. It is a country to tap into and really captivate the audience. “We needed to have at least two races in the US, one wasn’t enough, and this is one of the most iconic and unique cities that they have here. “It is a big show for sure, and it is never going to be like Silverstone, but maybe over time, the people in this community will grow to love the sport. “Maybe the track will be good, and maybe it will be bad. It was so-so on the simulator. But don’t knock it until you try it.” The debut race on the strip, which starts at 10pm local time, comes after three consecutive rounds in Austin, Mexico and Brazil and ahead of next weekend’s concluding race in Abu Dhabi – a weary time swing of 12 hours. The circuit itself features 17 corners over 3.8 miles along the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, and against the backdrop of Caesars Palace, the Venetian and the Bellagio. It is expected that the drivers will hit speeds in excess of 210mph, but Verstappen said: “The track is not very interesting with not many corners. “It will depend a little bit on how grippy it is. It doesn’t look like there’s much grip.” Verstappen has won 17 of the 20 rounds so far, while it is approaching two years since Hamilton, in his Mercedes, has tasted victory. Hamilton, who will get his first taste of the street track in opening practice at 8:30pm local time on Thursday (4:30am GMT on Friday) continued: “From a racer’s perspective, you want to have the best show here. “If the track provides a race like Baku – which is one of the best races with lots of overtaking – than that would be amazing, rather than just one car disappearing into the distance. “Everybody I know in Hollywood is coming and there will be a lot of business going on this weekend. “It will be a good spectacle to watch, even for those back home who have never been to Vegas. They will get to learn what it is all about.” Read More Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton ‘counting down days’ to end of season after another poor race Max Verstappen thwarts Lando Norris’ bid for first F1 win with sprint victory On this day in 2015: Susie Wolff ends her bid to get on an F1 starting grid Lando Norris ‘gutted’ to miss out on Brazilian GP pole after McLaren blunder

Lewis Hamilton was the notable exception on a night when numerous F1 drivers voiced their concerns about jet lag and the demanding end of season schedule. This weekend’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in the heart of Sin City takes place a week prior to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, 8,000 miles away. F1 has a record 24-race calendar next season but even with this year totalling 22, Max Verstappen was among a number of drivers critical of the end of the season travel across the world. Yet Hamilton, speaking in the pre-race press conference in Vegas on Wednesday, insisted he feels ‘great’ ahead of the final two races of the season. “I personally haven’t found it [jet lag] a problem,” the seven-time world champion said. “Still manage to keep training and I feel great. I saw some of the drivers complaining about jet lag… but I’ve not found it a problem since I’ve been here. “It is demanding but we know that entering the sport. If it was easy, we wouldn’t do it.” Three-time world champion Verstappen had earlier criticised the schedule as the 2023 season draws to a close. Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon were among the other drivers admitting to struggling with their sleep. “It’s already a 12-hour difference but also a completely different timezone because basically we live on a Japanese time schedule [in Vegas] but then almost on a different day,” Verstappen said. “I don’t really get that. That is very tiring. “It’s the end of the season that we have to do this, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense.” Verstappen also lambasted Wednesday’s lavish opening ceremony outside the new $500m pit building. All 20 drivers were introduced via lifts onto a string of podiums, concluding a half-an-hour show which included a drone sequence and a number of musical performances from the likes of Kylie Minogue, John Legend and Steve Aoki. Lando Norris also revealed he was “not a big fan” of the opening ceremony festivities, while Carlos Sainz believes the sport should soon look at the overall race weekend schedule due to it being “overpacked” with commitments for the drivers. Practice at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit starts at 3:30am on Friday morning (GMT). The race starts at 6am on Sunday morning in the UK, which is 10pm on Saturday night in Vegas. Read More ‘You look like a clown’: Max Verstappen derides Las Vegas GP opening ceremony F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Opening ceremony updates and news Lewis Hamilton makes F1 ‘circus’ plea after backlash from Las Vegas locals Celebrities and sponsors descend on Las Vegas as F1 returns to Sin City How Formula 1 cracked America Bernie Ecclestone wouldn’t bet on F1’s future in Las Vegas

Max Verstappen has criticised the “99% show, 1% sporting event” nature of this weekend’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix and lambasted Wednesday’s opening ceremony. F1 is returning to Vegas for the first time in more than 40 years with a new street circuit, with F1 themselves promoting the event and building a new pit building to the tune of $500m. But three-time world champion Verstappen, who was among the 20 drivers dramatically introduced to the crowd during Wednesday’s lavish opening ceremony via a lift onto a string of podiums, did not pull any punches about the spectacle of the event in Sin City. “I don’t like all the things around it,” said the Red Bull driver. “I’m looking forward to trying to do the best I can but I’m not looking forward to this. “For me you can skip these kind of things. It’s just standing up there, you look like a clown. “I fully understand and you can look at it two ways, business side or sport side. So, of course, I understand their side of it. “I’m just voicing my opinion on the performance side of things.” Wednesday’s opening ceremony started with spectacular drone sequences, preceding a number of performances from artists such as Kylie Minogue, John Legend and Tiesto. All 20 drivers then briefly appeared to rapturous applause from the crowd in the grandstands. Read More F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Opening ceremony updates and news Lewis Hamilton makes F1 ‘circus’ plea after backlash from Las Vegas locals Celebrities and sponsors descend on Las Vegas as F1 returns to Sin City

F1 heads to the US again for the highly-anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix on the world-famous strip and the penultimate race of the 2023 season. Max Verstappen won his 17th grand prix of a sensational season last time out in Brazil, with Lando Norris claiming second place once again and Fernando Alonso clinching third spot ahead of Sergio Perez after a tremendous late battle in Interlagos. Mercedes endured a torrid weekend to forget in Sao Paulo, while Charles Leclerc was forced to retire before the race even began due to a mechanical issue with his Ferrari car. F1 now returns to Vegas for the first time in 41 years for a 50-lap race around the picturesque 3.8 mile, 17-turn circuit. The race has a 10-year contract and will take place under the lights on Saturday night in Sin City. There will also be a unique opening ceremony tonight. Follow live updates from the Las Vegas Grand Prix with The Independent Read More How Formula 1 cracked America Lewis Hamilton makes F1 ‘circus’ plea after backlash from Las Vegas locals ‘I would not be shocked if King Charles showed up’: Las Vegas opens its doors to Formula One

Lewis Hamilton insists locals living in Las Vegas “can’t be negatively affected” by Formula 1’s arrival in the city this week – and the sport should not turn into a “circus.” F1 holds its first grand prix in Vegas for more than 40 years this weekend, with a brand new street circuit which sees cars speed down the world-famous strip at over 200mph. But there has been a backlash among some locals due to the disruption caused by the construction of the track, including a $500m pit building facility. Tourists and taxi drivers have voiced their annoyance following traffic delays throughout the city as a result of road closures – and seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton believes the sport must stay “respectful” to locals. “I’ve heard there’s been a lot of complaints about the event being here from the locals,” Hamilton told Sky Sports News. “I think we have to be respectful of the locals here, so many people working so hard – there’s a lot of money and wealth in this city. “We’ve got to make sure people are taken care of. We can’t be a circus that shows up that’s all glitz and glamour and people are affected negatively by it, in my opinion.” Vegas will host the third F1 race of the season in the United States, following on from Miami in May and Austin last month. Hamilton admits it’s been “amazing” to see the growth of F1 ever since his debut in 2007 – and a stage when he had to “educate” Americans about the sport. “I’ve been here [in F1] now for 16 years – it’s been really impressive to see the growth of our sport,” Hamilton added. “I used to come to America, the first grand prix in 2007 in Indianapolis, and over the years always having to educate people about what this sport is about. “Knowing how big a sporting audience they have here and I just couldn’t understand why they weren’t drawn to sport like we were growing up, living with it “It’s been amazing to see the shift over the last couple of years, that the country is really embracing the sport and seem to love it just as much as we do.” Hamilton was speaking at a sponsors event on Tuesday night at Speed City on the outskirts of Las Vegas, with AMG collaborating with IWC for the launch of Mercedes’ new AMG GT Coupe’ road car. Read More Celebrities and sponsors descend on Las Vegas as F1 returns to Sin City How Formula 1 cracked America Bernie Ecclestone wouldn’t bet on F1’s future in Las Vegas ‘I would not be shocked if King Charles showed up’: Las Vegas opens its doors to F1 F1 2023 season race schedule: When is the Las Vegas Grand Prix? Michael Schumacher fans set for rare insight into F1 legend’s life in new documentary

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he is fuelled by a personal anger and drive to help Lewis Hamilton win the record eighth world championship he was denied in Abu Dhabi. In an interview with the PA news agency ahead of this weekend’s blockbuster Las Vegas Grand Prix, team principal Wolff also revealed his own succession plan at Mercedes – in which he plans to skip as many as 10 races each season – and claimed Hamilton, 38, could compete in Formula One for at least another five years. Wolff has arrived in Sin City for the inaugural night race on the Las Vegas strip following Mercedes’ abysmal performance last time out in Brazil – one he described as the worst of his career. I have a personal anger, and drive to make him (Hamilton) win the eighth title because he should have had it Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff Hamilton finished 63 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen, and gloomily predicted he will not be a championship contender for the next two years. Next month will mark two years since the seven-time world champion last won a race, and that ill-fated evening in Abu Dhabi where race referee Michael Masi’s failure to imply the correct rules left him at the mercy of Verstappen. The Dutchman took the championship in the desert before quickly racking up another two titles in his all-conquering Red Bull. “We are living in a hamster wheel where time passes so quickly that it doesn’t feel like it has been two years,” said Wolff. “You can see how quickly the pecking order changes. We won eight constructors’ championships in a row, and it has been two years since Red Bull have been taking the trophy home. But we have to look forward, learn from the past, and the push now is to make Lewis win quickly again. “I have a personal anger, and drive to make him win the eighth title because he should have had it. “As a team principal, it is important to be fair and open with both drivers. But there is a big part of us that will always want to be a part of that story in undoing and overcoming 2021.” Hamilton will start a new two-year deal with the Silver Arrows next season, worth an estimated £100million. He will be nearly 41 at the conclusion of the contract, but Wolff does not believe it will be his last with Mercedes. “We are living from contract-to-contract, and it is important that we are doing what we think is right and what we feel is right, and at the moment I personally feel he can go longer,” added the Austrian. And could he carry on for another five years? “He is 39 in January, and Fernando (Alonso – 42) is still going strong,” replied Wolff. “As long as you look after yourself, you do the best preparation, physically and mentally, and develop different areas to when you are 25, then yes. “We just need to give him a car that is quick enough. And, as a driver, I have no doubt about him. You have seen in the last races that his performance, speed and race craft are all there. But, if he doesn’t have the car underneath him, he cannot win.” Wolff oversaw Mercedes’ crushing dominance which led to Hamilton winning six of his record-equalling seven world crowns. But Wolff’s future as team principal is in the spotlight following Mercedes’ dramatic demise. And although he admitted he intends to stay on as team principal, the 51-year-old, who also holds a one-third shareholding in Mercedes, is plotting his succession plan. “The clear aim is to build a structure for the future and that is my sheer responsibility for the team,” said Wolff, who was absent from the races in Japan and Qatar earlier this season following knee surgery. “A stone could fall on my head and how does it look afterwards? That is why I would like to see myself in a few years maybe not going to 24 races, and just to 15. “But that is many years away. I see myself in this role for a long time. I cannot imagine doing something else. “I really struggled in 2020 to make a decision on whether I wanted to stay active in the sport or to be a shareholder and go back to my finance world. I was tired, mentally and physically, but then I came to the realisation that I wanted to continue. “I feel I am contributing to the team in the crossover world of finance and motor racing, and I have a passion for both, and that is why I continue to do it.” Over at Red Bull, Verstappen has won 17 of the 20 rounds so far – which included a record 10-in-a-row streak – in the most dominant season the sport has ever witnessed. Wolff caused controversy when he poured scorn on Verstappen’s achievements, calling them “irrelevant” and “only for Wikipedia and nobody reads that anyway”. “It was not an intelligent thing to say,” said Wolff. “There were all these numbers about how many races we had won, and we used to joke that who cares about the numbers? It only goes on Wikipedia, and nobody reads that anyway. It was a joke, but it is much easier to joke about your own records than somebody else’s. “His records are unbelievable and what he has been able to achieve clearly ranks him amongst the greatest drivers in the sport at that young age. I have clarified that with him.” Read More On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton ‘counting down days’ to end of season after another poor race Max Verstappen thwarts Lando Norris’ bid for first F1 win with sprint victory On this day in 2015: Susie Wolff ends her bid to get on an F1 starting grid Lando Norris ‘gutted’ to miss out on Brazilian GP pole after McLaren blunder Carlos Sainz leads Ferrari one-two in Brazilian Grand Prix practice