The damages suffered by Carlos Sainz’s SF-23 in Las Vegas could prove costly for Scuderia Ferrari in this final part of the 2023 Formula 1 championship. The #55 Red car, as you may recall, was hit by a manhole while traveling at over 320 km/h at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, causing damages of almost two million euros.
“The frame was damaged. So was the chassis and the battery. The engine is unusable,” Frederic Vasseur clarified after the incident.
Given the entirely unusual circumstances not caused by a driver error, Ferrari has requested compensation for the significant repair costs incurred: “We are in discussions with the event organizers and the parties involved,” confirmed the Team Principal.
The real problem for Ferrari is now the budget cap. As explained by Frederic Vasseur: “There is no provision in the regulations that allows excluding these incidents from the budget.”
Consequently, “what happened will have many consequences on the financial, sporting, and also on the spare parts stock side. It will not be easy to stay within the cost cap.”
Ferrari Skipping Abu Dhabi?
And here, if the FIA does not accept Ferrari’s request, a heavy aftermath looms for the Maranello team.
“If the costs are on us, we might have to skip Abu Dhabi,” the French manager confirmed at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
A very negative scenario, especially considering that the Red Team is still in a fierce battle with Mercedes for the second position in the constructors’ championship. It would be, moreover, an additional blow for Ferrari, which already saw itself penalized in Las Vegas with Carlos Sainz dropping ten grid positions for the replacement of the damaged components. An incident that, since Friday, has sparked several controversies, with multiple drivers expressing opposition to the Federation’s decision.
Source: f1ingenerale
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