Carlos Sainz jokes Las Vegas Grand Prix ‘should have’ done one thing after 2023 controversy

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Formula 1 returns to Sin City for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix next time out but the controversy that clouded the debut running in 2023 continues to hang over the race.

Las Vegas had not welcomed the travelling circus of F1 back to Nevada for 39 years after the 1984 Caesars Palace Grand Prix took place in car parks outside the hotel. But Formula 1 was back in 2024 and hit the iconic Strip for the first time after F1 took up the role of a promoter.

Yet it took just nine minutes of the first free practice session for the debut edition of the Las Vegas GP to create controversy and cost Ferrari star Carlos Sainz dearly. It would also force an early finish to the session after only 20 minutes and enrage Ferrari chief Frederic Vasseur.

Carlos Sainz jokes the Las Vegas Grand Prix should recognise his drain cover controversy

FP1 for the 2023 Las Vegas GP was called early after a drain cover became dislodged and hit the floor of Sainz’s Ferrari. It also occurred at one of the fastest points of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit between the Bellagio and Paris hotels, ruining his SF-23’s floor and also his engine.

His drain cover incident in Las Vegas left Sainz enraged for months as it made Ferrari change the Spaniard’s battery, ICE and control electronics. Fitting fresh parts ensured Sainz received a 10-place grid penalty McLaren CEO Zak Brown felt was ‘unfair’ as was it not their decision.

The FIA stewards had no choice but to penalise Sainz after Ferrari fitted engine components beyond his permitted allowance. It meant he started the 2023 Las Vegas GP in P12 after just missing out on pole position to Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, by a mere 0.044 seconds.

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One year on from the 2023 Las Vegas GP, Sainz still believes he was ‘unfairly penalised’ for a drain cover damaging his Ferrari and even his race. The 30-year-old has also kidded that the straight where the controversial incident occurred should be re-named after him in respect.

Sainz jested, via quotes by Marca: “I saw a joke on social media that they named the straight after me where everything happened. But it’s not really true. They probably should have done that. Nah, I’m joking.

“Hopefully, [we claim] a better result. We could have won in Vegas last year. I think [Leclerc] could have won the race, too.

“Obviously, I was unfairly penalised for something that wasn’t our fault and it probably cost us in the constructors’ championship, as well. So, hopefully. Vegas has something good in store for us.”

Carlos Sainz could have fought for the win without a grid penalty in Sin City

Getting a grid penalty above all proved extremely costly for Sainz at the 2023 Las Vegas GP as the consequences of the drain cover controversy denied the Ferrari pilot a chance to fight for the win. Instead, it fell on Leclerc to lead Ferrari’s fight against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

READ MORE: How many penalty points every 2024 F1 driver has and who is close to a ban

In the end, Verstappen came out on top by 2.070s to Leclerc with Sergio Perez only a further 0.171s behind in third place. The Dutchman just had an edge against the Monegasque after a race-long battle in the closing stages. Sainz, meanwhile, ended his race 20.834s back in P6.

Sainz also finished the 2023 Las Vegas GP stuck right behind Aston Martin ace Lance Stroll by 0.767s. The Spaniard could not find a route past the Canadian in the closing stages whilst also defending from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, with the Briton only 0.921s back at the end.