Las Vegas Grand Prix postpones its opening practise due to damaged cars caused by manhole covers.

The first practise session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was called off after Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari was seriously damaged by a drain cover.

The race, which aims to increase Formula One’s visibility in the US market, got off to a humiliating start because of the incident. The costs of hosting the event in Las Vegas are estimated to be around $700m. According to F1, the incident was caused by a “water-valve cover failing.”

The drain cover was dragged free from the concrete surround that was meant to hold it in place, and Sainz’s car suffered significant damage. Three minutes after the incident, the session was halted for security concerns. According to an FIA spokesperson, the manhole cover’s concrete frame failed. The FIA will talk with the local circuit engineering team about how long it will take to fix the problem and provide updates on any schedule modifications.

A drain cover also caused damage to Esteban Ocon’s Alpine. Following the street circuit is repairs, free practise two got underway. This time, the session lasted 90 minutes but was held behind closed doors. On the start-finish straight, where weekend tickets ranged from $1,700 to $2,700, there was booing in the grandstands. Because of the restrictions placed on it by closing the city’s roads, Formula One has never before run on this track.