Ferrari still looking for COMPENSATION from FIA for Carlos Sainz’s $2 million worth car damage at Las Vegas GP
Carlos Sainz got penalized for changing his car parts during a Grand Prix even though the reason for the damage to his Ferrari SF-23 had been solely the FIA's negligence.
Follow Us
Carlos Sainz, Sainz's Las Vegas accident, and Mattia Binotto (via X)
Carlos Sainz had entered Ferrari with much promise in 2021 after a successful stint at McLaren. The Spaniard has since been able to perform quite well alongside Charles Leclerc and has sometimes even surpassed him despite the Monegasque being the ‘senior’ Ferrari racer out of the two. Last year, Carlos Sainz wowed everyone by earning the only non-Red Bull Grand Prix victory of the season with his masterful performance at the Singapore GP.
But 2023 did not turn out to be all that good to Sainz despite his Grand Prix win because of his inconsistencies. The Spanish ‘chilli’ was struck especially hard when his Ferrari SF-23 rammed into a manhole cover on the streets of Las Vegas which were converted to a racetrack. As the entire F1 world was celebrating the arrival of the pinnacle of motorsports to the famous Vegas Strip, Carlos Sainz’s car succumbed to terrible floor damage due to the manhole that was left behind due to negligence from the FIA’s side.
Despite it being not his fault at all, Carlos Sainz’s car had to undergo repairing and replacements right ahead of the race. According to Ferrari Chief Mattia Binotto, the repairs cost them north of $2,000,000, and they are yet to get compensation for that.
We are still discussing [about the compensation], but it’s a work in progress, let’s say. I’m not scared about this, that we’ll find a solution. I think it will be the normal outcome and the logical outcome and we are working for this.Mattia Binotto said, as reported by RaceFans.net.
Carlos Sainz relived his thoughts after the crash at the 2023 Las Vegas GP Free Practice
Now that Carlos Sainz has lost his Ferrari seat with effect from 2025, the Spaniard will be in search of a new team very soon. But during his short tenure at the Maranello outfit, the Spanirad had delivered some formidable performances which were plagued by inconsistent results. At the Las Vegas GP, due to Carlos Sainz’s car floor needing a complete replacement, he was given a 10-place grid penalty as you cannot change major car parts during the race weekend.
Thus, despite coming second in the Qualifying Sessions, Carlos was relegated to the back of the grid at the first-ever Grand Prix on the Vegas Strip. And he talked about how he felt about the whole mishap later on.
I was in shock, the blow was like an explosion. And if you see the images from the outside it actually looks like the car explodes.Carlos Sainz said, as reported by Scuderia Ferrari Fans.
Carlos Sainz’s contract with the Scuderia will end in 2024, and from the next season, he will be replaced by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Lewis is going to bring to Ferrari a host of experience that perhaps the Spaniard lacked due to his relatively younger age when compared with Hamilton. And it also remains to be seen which team takes up Carlos Sainz now that he is in search of a new squad.
In case you missed it:
Stay Updated!
Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)