Ferrari confirm damages to Carlos Sainz’s SF-23 “fall within the budget cap, no exceptions”. Damages to Carlos Sainz's Ferrari SF-23 in Las Vegas fall within the budget cap.

Adding insult to injury
Carlos Sainz did not receive any favours due to force majeure after the forced knockout caused by a manhole cover that destroyed his Ferrari SF-23 in Las Vegas. The Spanish driver had to move back ten positions on the starting grid due to the introduction of a new battery.

Similarly, Ferrari will not be able to benefit from any compensation or exemption in the tally of costs incurred to repair Carlos Sainz’s car. Everything must fit within the budget cap, as emphasized by the team principal of the Maranello Scuderia, Frederic Vasseur, who did not digest the handling of the situation in FP1 since the yellow flag was waved at that point for about a minute without indicating the reason for the danger.

Frederic Vasseur’s comments in the press conference
“The chassis cannot be repaired; even the seat was damaged. There are a lot of extra costs: chassis, battery, engine, and gearbox are damaged. There are numerous consequences on the financial, sporting, budget, and spare parts fronts. No exceptions are provided. Everything must fit within the budget cap.”

“It was very tough for Carlos and the team. We also need to discuss the circumstances in which the incident occurred. For me, the issue is not just the manhole cover but the minute that passed between the yellow and red flags. I think it’s excessive. The reason for the yellow flag was not communicated, but if you start waving it, it’s because you’ve seen something. I am more disappointed in how it was handled rather than the incident itself, which had already happened in Monaco, the top city circuits. Then a similar incident occurred in Malaysia and twice in Baku. It’s hard to predict. However, the way it was handled can be discussed.” – the French manager concluded.