November 18, (THEWILL) – A legal challenge has been launched against the inaugural Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix over the abrupt cancellation of Thursday’s practice session ahead of this weekend’s race. A class action lawsuit alleging breach of contract, negligence and deceptive trade practices was filed on Saturday.
The filing comes after the very first practice session scheduled for the nighttime race along the famous Las Vegas Strip was halted after only eight minutes when Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari struck a loose drain cover, damaging his car. Formula One and race organisers said in a joint statement that “a single water valve cover on the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit failed during the first practice session.”
Following inspection by F1 and the FIA, racing’s governing body, officials worked to check and secure all drain covers along the unique 1.3-mile street course. The incident forced the cancellation of the session, although a second practice was held later that night. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Sainz topped the time sheets.
This weekend represents the inaugural running of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. F1 has invested £500 million to make the race happen and taken on an unusually prominent role as promoter. Qualifying went ahead as planned early Saturday morning with Leclerc taking pole position ahead of the race on Sunday.
The lawsuit threatens to put a dampener on F1’s long-planned Vegas debut as the sport continues its rapid expansion in the lucrative US market. Organisers will be hoping any disruption is minimal as they seek to provide spectators with their money’s worth from a race that has generated huge interest.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
