Sergio Perez has stated he is “very sorry for the fans” following a
disruptive opening day at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Running for the
opening practice outing of the weekend lasted just eight minutes as
both Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon picked up damage due to a loose
manhole cover. A track inspection was carried out after the outing
was abandoned to ensure the other drain covers were secure. The
second practice session was delayed by two and a half hours
resulting in fan areas being closed due to “logistical
considerations”. Footage in Las Vegas showed police officers
entering the grandstands to eject attending fans ahead of the start
of FP2. While Perez regrets that the fans had a negative
experience, the Red Bull driver is hopeful that the remainder of
the weekend will be a success. “I’m very sorry for the fans that
this happened,” said Perez. “I’m sure that we’re going to be able
to put on a nice race weekend. “Overall it’s a challenging place,
the grip level is quite low so it’s just coming up which makes
things a lot more challenging.” Perez suggests Ferrari challenge
Perez ended the second practice outing in fourth place while
team-mate Max Verstappen was sixth fastest. Ferrari led the way
with Charles Leclerc at the head of the timesheets while team-mate
Carlos Sainz was second fastest. Perez suggested that Ferrari
currently holds the upper hand but is expecting a closer fight when
it comes to Sunday’s Grand Prix. “I think we were making good
progress, which was a good thing in my opinion,” Perez said. “[I’m]
fairly happy with that. Ferrari is looking very strong, not just on
the pace – when you look at the footage, the onboards, they look
like they are able to find something. “But come race day I think
we’re going to be there.”
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