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The snake-bitten Las Vegas Grand Prix descended into further farce in the early hours of Friday morning as fans were sent home just an hour before the much-delayed second free practice session got underway. F1’s return to Vegas could hardly have been more disastrous as the first practice session was abandoned due to a loose drain cover. FP1 had only been going for eight minutes when Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari rolled to a stop on the ‘Sin City’ strip, having suffered substantial floor damage. LIVE! Follow the ongoing farce at the Las Vegas Grand Prix with our blog Driving at speeds of over 200mph, Sainz went over the loose drain cover before veering to the side and stopping the car after the impact, leaving Ferrari furious at the damage caused. To add salt to the wound, the Spaniard was then issued a 10-place grid penalty for making changes to his car following the loose drain incident. The issue caused huge delays to the schedule as frantic work ensued to ensure the track was safe, with FP2 – which was originally supposed to get underway at 12am local time (8am GMT) – delayed until 2am (10am GMT) and then pushed back a further 30 minutes. Yet it was only at 1.30am in Vegas that an announcement finally came over the tannoy, officially sending fans home from the venue due to “logistical considerations”, meaning FP2 resumed with the backdrop of eerily empty stands. Regarding the initial drain cover issue, F1’s governing body the FIA stated: “Following inspection, it was the concrete frame around a manhole cover that has failed. We now need to check all of the other manhole covers which will take some time. “We will be discussing with the local circuit engineering team about the length of time it will take to resolve and will update with any resultant changes to the schedule.” FP2 was extended to 90 minutes to allow teams more track time but the variety of issues seemed to only confirm the viewpoint of reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who launched a scathing rebuke of the event earlier this week – calling it “99 per cent show, 1 per cent sporting event” and “you just look like a clown” after being introduced to the crowd at a lavish opening ceremony on Wednesday. Read More Carlos Sainz handed ‘ridiculous’ penalty after drain cover crash at Las Vegas GP Jacques Villeneuve becomes first F1 driver to get married in paddock at Las Vegas GP Five times a manhole cover stopped F1 in its tracks

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At the Lusail International Circuit, home to the second iteration this weekend of Formula 1’s Qatar Grand Prix, a reminder of the country’s crowning moment glows bright in the background. The Lusail Iconic Stadium, the 88,000-capacity golden bowl which hosted last year’s World Cup final, is less than 10 miles down the road. But with the planet’s biggest show having come and gone – with its fair share of acclaim and criticism – Qatari executives are determined to move on. A new spectacle is in town. “We are the new World Cup for the next 10 years,” boldly stated Amro Al-Hamad, CEO of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, earlier this year. “Everybody [in Qatar] is now very eager to share their [World Cup] experiences with us to make sure that we deliver an even higher calibre event than the World Cup was.” Two years ago, as well as stepping in late in the day to stage the 20th race of the memorable 2021 season, Qatar signed a 10-year contract with F1 to stage a race every year from 2023. Earlier this year, F1 announced a multi-year partnership with Qatar Airways to be the sport’s global airline partner, replacing rival airline Emirates. With F1 having been long present in Bahrain and the UAE via Abu Dhabi, with Saudi Arabia a new entrant too in 2021, Qatar is now making waves at the top of single-seater motorsport, having hosted a race in MotoGP since 2004. Originally, the prospect of a street track in Doha was mooted and while that is not out of the question down the line, a newly refurbished paddock suggests the high-speed Lusail track will be the country’s home of motorsport in the short-term. The refurbs get their first showing this weekend. “The F1 paddock is state of the art,” added Al-Hamad. “We haven’t left any stone unturned. “The pit boxes are not suitable for F1 racing, opposite to the ones that we had for MotoGP [in Qatar since 2004] in the past. We have 50 boxes – I don’t think anybody else within the F1 calendar has that number of pit boxes.” The updates, however, should not overshadow concerns related to the country’s human rights record, with regards to worker conditions and discriminatory laws against women and LGBTQ+ individuals. Lewis Hamilton, who won the 2021 race, received a heap of praise when he wore a rainbow helmet two years ago. At that time, Amnesty International said: “It’s no secret that rich countries in the Middle East see top-level sport as a means to rebrand and sportswash their images, and a grand prix in Qatar would be more of the same.” F1 now hosts four races in the Middle East, including the first and last race of the season, with lucrative commercial contracts. Qatar will have an illustrious penultimate spot on the calendar next year. And despite being a new track to six of the 20 drivers this year, Qatar hosts the fourth sprint race of the season this coming weekend. But beyond any improvements to facilities off-track, the action on it typically makes an event a real hit-or miss. And while the 2023 season has been dominated by one man, Qatar is set to be the stage of his moment of glory. Max Verstappen only needs to finish in the top six in the sprint race on Saturday to claim his third championship on the bounce. The Dutchman, 26, will join the likes of Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda and Jackie Stewart with a hat-trick of championships to his name. “It doesn’t sound too bad, does it?” said Verstappen on Thursday. “It’s something I’d never have imagined to be a part of. I don’t think I’ll fully appreciate it until I stop. We just try to enjoy the moment. “We [Red Bull] are having an incredible season. The records we are breaking as a team is something we never expected to happen. We’re incredibly proud of them. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going.” Read More F1: How can Max Verstappen win 2023 world championship in Qatar? Aston Martin boss urges F1 to stick to 10 teams British F2 star to make F1 debut with Haas How can Max Verstappen win 2023 F1 world championship in Qatar? British F2 star to make F1 debut with Haas ‘Referees make mistakes’: Gasly compares Liverpool VAR farce to Abu Dhabi controversy

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Italy is removing children from registers and stopping surrogacy abroad in new rules affecting same-sex couples.