When the Las Vegas Grand Prix returned to the neon-lit streets of the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, November 21, 2025, it wasn’t the speed or the spectacle that stole the show — it was a manhole cover. At 8:37 PM UTC, during the second free practice session (FP2), a trackside marshal spotted something terrifying: a metal lid at Turn 17, nestled between the Kessle and Sphere landmarks, lifting like a trapdoor as Formula 1 cars roared over it at over 200 miles per hour. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) immediately red-flagged the session. And just 20 minutes later, it happened again. This wasn’t just a glitch. It was a repeat of trauma.
What Happened at Turn 17?
The first red flag came with 20 minutes left in FP2. Technicians rushed to the scene, tightened the bolts on the manhole cover with a wrench, and after a 15-minute pause, the session resumed. But the cover didn’t stay put. It lifted again — not as violently as before, but enough to alarm the FIA’s on-site safety team. At 9:05 PM UTC, the second red flag flew. This time, there was no going back. The session ended early, depriving all ten Formula 1 teams of crucial long-run data needed to fine-tune tire strategies and aerodynamic setups for qualifying on Saturday.
What made this worse? It wasn’t the first time. Two years earlier, during the inaugural 2023 race, a water valve cover ripped loose at the same general stretch of the circuit. It struck Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro’s Scuderia Ferrari SF-23, tearing through the underbody and forcing an hours-long delay. That incident became a cautionary tale. Now, in 2025, the same location — same street, same high-speed zone — was back in the spotlight, this time with a manhole cover instead of a valve. The FIA confirmed the two incidents were unrelated in type, but identical in consequence: infrastructure failing under aerodynamic suction.
The Science Behind the Lift
Modern F1 cars don’t just go fast — they create vacuum. The underbody design generates massive downforce by accelerating air beneath the car, creating a low-pressure zone. At speeds above 200 mph, that suction can exert hundreds of pounds of lift on any unsecured surface. Street circuits, with their patchwork of manholes, grates, and utility covers, are inherently vulnerable. As Kym Illman, a respected motorsport analyst based in the UK, put it on YouTube: "If that cover had fully detached, it would have been far worse than Carlos’s impact in 2023. A flying piece of steel at that speed? That’s not a crash — that’s a bomb."
Repairs were immediate but complex. The initial bolt-tightening failed because the metal had expanded and contracted over months of Nevada heat and cold. Welding directly onto cold steel risked cracking. So crews used a propane torch to heat the cover’s perimeter, then applied a stick welder at two critical points. After hammering and grinding, the repair was deemed secure by 9:25 PM UTC — just in time for the F1 Academy qualifying session, which started just two minutes late at 9:37 PM UTC.
Who’s Responsible? And What’s Next?
The Formula One World Championship Limited (F1 WCL), the British entity that runs the commercial side of F1, coordinates with local authorities in Paradise, Nevada — the unincorporated area where the Strip circuit runs — to prepare the track. But infrastructure maintenance is a shared burden. The FIA’s Race Director, Niels Wittich, and Deputy Race Director Herbie Blash, both stationed in Paris, have final say on safety. Their decision to end FP2 early was not taken lightly.
"Some race control personnel remained on-site when the session was restarted. They reported that the manhole cover was moving as cars passed over it," read the FIA’s official statement. "This led to the session being ended under red-flag conditions. Further inspections are underway."
That last line is chilling. "Further inspections" means the FIA doesn’t trust the weld. And with qualifying scheduled for Saturday, November 23, at 8:00 PM UTC, there’s no time to waste. Engineers are reportedly reviewing thermal imaging scans of the entire Turn 17 section. Local crews are preparing backup covers — not just bolted, but fully embedded in concrete.
Why This Matters Beyond Las Vegas
Street circuits are the wild west of Formula 1. Monaco, Singapore, Baku — all rely on public roads, public infrastructure, public utilities. The Las Vegas Strip is the most glamorous, but also one of the most fragile. The 2023 and 2025 incidents prove that even with millions spent on safety, aging urban infrastructure remains a ticking time bomb. If a manhole cover can lift at 200 mph, what else might? Drain grates? Fire hydrant housings? Even the asphalt itself can delaminate under F1 downforce.
ESPN’s motorsport team in Bristol, Connecticut, noted that similar issues have cropped up in Singapore and Montreal — always during night sessions, when visibility is low and temperatures fluctuate. The FIA has promised a review of all street circuits ahead of the 2026 season. But for now, the focus is on Las Vegas. And for the teams? They’re flying blind into qualifying.
What Happened to the Data?
Every minute of FP2 is gold. Teams use it to simulate race pace, test fuel loads, and evaluate tire degradation over long stints. With FP2 cut short, teams like Mercedes, Red Bull, and Aston Martin lost over 20 minutes of critical data. Some were just starting their long runs. Others were testing new aerodynamic updates. The gap between top and bottom teams could widen — not because of car performance, but because of a loose piece of metal.
"We had a new rear wing setup we wanted to validate," said one senior engineer from a top-5 team, speaking anonymously. "Now we’re guessing. And in F1, guessing costs positions. And positions cost championships."
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn’t the bolts hold the manhole cover down?
The manhole cover’s metal had undergone repeated thermal expansion and contraction over months of Nevada weather, causing the bolt holes to warp slightly. Tightening the bolts temporarily reduced movement, but couldn’t counteract the aerodynamic suction from F1 cars. The cover needed a permanent fix — welding — because bolts alone can’t handle the vacuum forces generated at over 200 mph.
How is this different from the 2023 Carlos Sainz incident?
In 2023, a water valve cover dislodged and struck Sainz’s Ferrari SF-23, causing catastrophic underbody damage. In 2025, it was a standard manhole cover — not a valve — and while it lifted, it didn’t detach. No car was hit, and no damage occurred. But the root cause is the same: inadequate anchoring of urban infrastructure to F1’s extreme aerodynamic forces.
Could this have caused a fatal accident?
Absolutely. A manhole cover flying at 200 mph could pierce a cockpit, strike a driver’s helmet, or cause a car to lose control mid-corner. Kym Illman and multiple FIA safety experts have warned that street circuits are vulnerable to this exact scenario. The 2025 incident was a near-miss — a reminder that F1’s glamour comes with lethal risks if infrastructure isn’t engineered for the sport’s physics.
What’s being done to prevent this in qualifying and the race?
Crews have welded the cover permanently and are conducting thermal scans of the entire Turn 17 zone. Backup covers are being prepped, and additional sensors have been installed to monitor movement in real time. The FIA will also have a dedicated safety marshal stationed at Turn 17 during all sessions. But with qualifying just two days away, teams and officials are holding their breath — hoping the weld holds, and the suction doesn’t win.
Why did F1 Academy qualifying proceed on time?
The F1 Academy cars are significantly lighter and slower than F1 machines, generating far less downforce — and thus far less suction. Their tires don’t create the same vacuum effect, so the risk of dislodging infrastructure is minimal. The two-minute delay was purely logistical, to allow FIA personnel to clear the area and reset safety protocols after FP2 ended.
Is the Las Vegas Grand Prix at risk of being moved or canceled?
Not currently. The event is a major revenue driver for F1 WCL and the city of Las Vegas. But the 2025 incident has raised serious questions about long-term viability. The FIA has signaled that future editions may require structural upgrades — concrete embedding of all covers, not just welding — or even rerouting parts of the circuit. The 2026 race could look very different if safety concerns aren’t permanently resolved.
Recent Posts
-
Six Men Charged with 1990s Sex Offences in West Yorkshire October 3, 2025
