After two consecutive days of Formula One pre-season testing were disrupted by dislodged drain covers at the Bahrain International Circuit, drivers are urging the FIA and local organizers to implement more rigorous inspections of track infrastructure to prevent further potentially dangerous and expensive incidents.
The recent events at the Sakhir circuit revived uneasy memories of a significant crash at November’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, where a loose drain cover wrecked Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari beyond repair. The repairs cost the team dearly and they are still awaiting full compensation from insurance.
With the ground-effect cars probably it’s a little bit worse but also it seems like we’re driving in places that not a lot of other cars are going in terms of opening up corners” said reigning world champion Max Verstappen of the increased downforce generated by modern F1 vehicles. “Maybe these kind of things can be checked a bit more.”
Verstappen argued that the locations of drains at each track are well-known to teams and organizers, so “before you start driving at the weekend to double-check that everything is solid is a must for the upcoming tracks, (so) that we don’t have another situation where cars get destroyed.”
The Dutchman emphasized the budget cap in place this season, meaning crashes caused by track deficiencies could seriously impact teams’ ability to compete if repairs and replacements strain their limited budgets.
It’s a serious issue because it can have big consequences and we have to look into it for the future, for it to not happen again” Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc agreed, relieved his incident did not mimic Sainz’s costly crash in Las Vegas.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes said the disruptions were “obviously a concern” and stated organizers should “probably need to be welding these things down well in advance of us getting there.
With the first race of the 2023 season taking place at Sakhir on March 5, there are just over a week for circuit officials to implement heightened checks and reinforce vulnerable infrastructure around the track.
If drain covers and other hazards are not properly secured, more disruptions, crashes, and budget-straining repairs seem inevitable.
