FIA welds loose cover after disrupting Las Vegas Grand Prix practice

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A faulty closure on the loose street maintenance cover that twice disrupted Thursday night's practice sessions at the Las Vegas Grand Prix was welded to avoid future issues ahead of Saturday night's race, Formula 1’s governing body said.

All other covers on the 3.85-mile track (6.20 km) that is on parts of the famed Las Vegas Strip also were checked and 14 received further welding, the FIA said.

Another practice session was scheduled for Friday with qualifying later that night.

Thursday’s first practice was clean with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari leading the session. Trouble came with about 20 minutes left in the second session when a marshal reported a possible loose maintenance cover near Turn 17.

The FIA red flagged the practice because race control could not find video footage to determine if there was a problem. The red flag allowed race control personnel to physically examine the site.

Practice resumed and site inspectors reported the cover was moving as cars passed over it. The red flag was again thrown, ending the session.

The inaugural race in 2023 was upended just nine minutes into the first practice session when a loose cover damaged the underbody of Carlos Sainz Jr.’s car. It took more than two hours to fix the loose cover and inspect the entire circuit.

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