EL1 in Baku stopped due to manhole cover

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku did not start in the best way. The first practice session was stopped after a quarter of an hour due to an incident with George Russell (Williams). Note that the British rookie was unwell on Thursday and had to miss the media day. 

His FW42 hit a loose manhole cover, damaging the flat bottom of the car British. The stewards quickly displayed the red flag to carry out checks and subsequently confirmed the permanent end of the session due to the major repairs to be carried out.

More than 300 manhole covers dot the urban circuit traced on the banks of the Caspian Sea. The organizers hope to examine them in time to ensure the holding of the qualifying session of the Formula 2, which is scheduled for 15:00 p.m. Baku time, or 13:00 p.m. in France. 

RED FLAG: The session is halted after George Russell encounters trouble with a drain cover and is forced to a standstill

Track repairs underway in Baku #AzerbaijanGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/eHmy7GkSln

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 26th

Williams' misfortunes continued with a new incident with the tow truck bringing the FW42 back to the garage. The arm of the intervention vehicle struck a footbridge. Only the pilots Ferrari were able to set a time in this truncated session. Charles Leclerc completed a lap in 1'47''497, 2''1 ahead of Sebastian Vettel.

Lewis Hamilton, current leader of the world championship and winner in Baku last year, preferred to laugh at the situation, saying that the interruption of the session gave him an additional opportunity to watch the series Game of Thrones.

pic.twitter.com/MFhQ6aqGY0

- Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) April 26, 2019

The second free practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will normally take place from 17:00 p.m. to 18:30 p.m. (15:00 p.m. – 16:30 p.m. in France) and will be followed on Canal+ Sport.