F1 star in danger of missing Las Vegas Grand Prix as worrying statement released
An F1 team have released a statement confirming that one of their drivers will need to undergo a pre-race medical evaluation ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The race is scheduled for 6 am (GMT) on Sunday 24 November.
Mercedes George Russell secured a poll position start with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz behind him on the grid.
Max Verstappen currently tops the 2024 Driver standings with 393 points, while McLaren’s Lando Norris will aim to reduce the 62-point deficit in the US.
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However, it is another driver who will be assessed ahead of the race after he was involved in a heavy collision during qualifying.
Williams’ Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto clipped the inside wall during his final run during Q2.
The 21-year-old currently sits 19th in the championship but may be out of tomorrow’s race, depending on his medical results.
Colapinto was the only Williams representative to make it through Q1 after teammate Alex Albon was eliminated at the stage.
As a result of the impact of the Argentinian's crash, the medical car was automatically deployed.
A medical assessment followed which prompted Williams to release a statement.
"During qualifying, Franco [Colapinto] sustained a significant impact of over 50G, requiring a medical check-up,” it read.
“An impact of this magnitude is obviously significant and severe, and he will need to be evaluated again tomorrow before we will know whether he is clear to race.
"Franco's health is all that matters, and we are glad he is otherwise okay. We will provide further updates when we can."
If the driver is not passed fit to race, Williams will be forced to use just one car for the second race in succession after Albon was involved in a crash at the qualifying stage of the Brazilian Grand Prix in early November.
Speaking to ESPN, Williams’ team principal, James Vowles, discussed the cost of the damage to the car.
“You are into the millions - less than ten but more than three,” he explained.
“It's big numbers when you calculate where we are at the moment.
"The sustained damage we had across Mexico and Brazil, I hadn't experienced anything like that in 25 years of working in the sport - to have five major accidents [in two races].”
Topics: Mercedes, Max Verstappen, McLaren
Luke Davies