Scuderia Ferrari has brought a spare chassis from Maranello after the one available in Las Vegas was mounted to replace the damaged chassis from Carlos Sainz in the first free practice session due to the manhole cover lifting on the Strip straight. The damaged chassis followed the material sent to Yas Marina, and it was seen in the Prancing Horse’s box to be completely stripped of its details. It will be repaired at the Ferrari Racing Division in Maranello only upon the return from the final trip.
In Abu Dhabi, Ferrari sent another spare chassis after the one available in Las Vegas was mounted for Carlos Sainz, who was forced to change the chassis, power unit, and battery due to the now infamous manhole cover that lifted on the long straight of the Strip.
In the Yas Marina garage, at the back of the Scuderia’s box, the presence of the damaged monocoque of the Spanish driver did not go unnoticed: the mechanics completed the “stripping” of all the details, but it is not expected to be used since the repair on the floor can only be carried out at the factory in Maranello.
Contrary to alarming information that spread in Las Vegas, Carlos Sainz’s seat is said not to have punctured, as initially stated, but it had “only” cracked.
Not that this clarification changes the severity of the impact: Carlos went over the manhole cover at a speed of 320 km/h, measured by telemetry, and the effect was devastating for the SF-23. However, it is fair to say that the driver’s safety, fortunately, was not in doubt, despite the strong impact that the Spaniard felt throughout the spine.
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Even the floor of the chassis did not tear but cut, opening a crack that could not guarantee the necessary strength for the chassis to be considered safe.
Meanwhile, on Charles Leclerc’s red car, the Prancing Horse mechanics were installing a mega-narrow load of sensors that will be used tomorrow in the initial laps of the first free practice session to collect data that may be useful for next year’s car. In previous years, the Scuderia amazed with that huge truss mounted behind the car, while this time there is a more traditional gantry located in front of the right rear wheel to collect information useful for the rear end.
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