P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Carlos Sainz’s weekend in Las Vegas went from bad to worse when he was handed a grid penalty for fitting new parts after his car was damaged by a manhole cover during FP1.
Carlos Sainz expressed disbelief over the grid penalty he received for the Las Vegas Grand Prix after running over a loose drain cover in practice. The session was abandoned for track inspection, during which Ferrari requested the installation of fresh engine components outside of the penalty-free pool. However, the stewards determined that there were no regulations allowing for an exception, resulting in a 10-place grid drop for Sainz. He questioned why force majeure couldn’t be applied since the damage was caused by the track conditions. Despite the setback, Sainz praised the efforts of the Ferrari team in repairing his car and finished second in FP2, showing promising pace for the race. However, he admitted that it is difficult for him to stay positive with a grid drop looming over the upcoming Grand Prix.
