F1’s flagship Vegas race weekend endured a turbulent start after the first practice session was red flagged eight minutes in, and then FP2 delayed by 2hr30 as steps were taken to cement 30 water valve covers in place after one was lifted by Esteban Ocon and then ran over by Sainz.
The major impact to the underside of the SF-23 resulted in Ferrari needing to build a new chassis and swap the internal combustion engine, energy store and control electronics.
Sainz has revealed that hitting the object also damaged his seat as he sustained an impact on his neck and back. The Spaniard said: “I’m OK. I had a pretty big hit on my back and my neck after the incident.
“Unfortunately, obviously a chassis, the power unit, the battery, even my seat was damaged after the incident, which involved a huge effort from all the mechanics and the team to put together a completely brand-new car for FP2 that allowed me to complete the session, which was in my opinion a heroic effort.”
Source: Autosport