Alpine forced to change Ocon’s chassis after damage from Vegas drain cover

Ocon picked up significant damage to his car in the early stages of first practice in Las Vegas.

It means two cars were significantly affected by the loose drain cover on the long straight. 

Carlos Sainz’s session was also cut short by the loose drain cover, forcing him to pull to the side of the track, resulting in the first red flag of the session after just eight minutes of running.

• First practice for Las Vegas GP cancelled after just eight minutes of running

FP1 was then completely cancelled with organisers forced to check the circuit on safety grounds.

Alpine announced the news on social media: “We will change the chassis on Car #31 due to damage from a suspected drain cover on track.”