Carlos Sainz says his “number one hope” this weekend is to avoid a loose drain cover after that sent him out of free practice in the inaugural Las Vegas GP.

Sainz’s Ferrari went over a loose drain on the circuit last year and produced a highly controversial moment in what was the first appearance of the Nevada race on the F1 calendar.

Carlos Sainz hoping to avoid repeat of Las Vegas GP nightmare

Just eight minutes into FP1 at this race last year and there was a red flag after a loose drain cover destroyed the floor of Sainz’s Ferrari to kick the weekend off in the worst imaginable way possible.

It caused fury both in the paddock and in stands with fans sent home before FP2 and Ferrari left with a hefty bill for an incident that was not their fault.

A year later and Sainz says his “number one hope” is for nothing like that to happen again.

“That’s my number one hope for sure, after what happened last year,” Sainz told media including PlanetF1.com in Vegas. “I hope that everything’s fixed this year, because I think it will be a lot better for the race and for everyone and obviously for all the drivers for safety.”

It was a double whammy for Sainz last year with the unexpected damage requiring him to take parts outside of his allocation and sending him down to 12th to start the race. The Spaniard recovered to sixth but it was of little comfort for an irate Ferrari team.

This year, Sainz hopes for a smoother run in what is his third last race as a Ferrari driver but he knows the temperatures in Nevada will cause problems.

“Looking forward to it,” the 30-year-old said. “Cold weekend and different track than what we’re used to. Low downforce, low grip. So you have a lot of different variables that we’re normally not used to, and a lot of challenges ahead, like they were last year.”

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As for what he hopes to achieve in his final races at Ferrari, Sainz said the goal is to win the Constructors’ Championship.

“100% I believe we can do it and it’s within reach,” Sainz said. “I think we’re in the mix. At the same time, McLaren have a very good buffer to play with and two very strong drivers to get points every weekend and especially they have three tracks coming where there’s no reason why they couldn’t be also the fastest car.

“So to beat them will be extremely tough, but a great challenge to have ahead and something that makes me excited also because if we manage to get it at the end of the year, and manage to sign off the season with that championship, would be a great way to put an end to this cycle in Ferrari for me, and something that I would be extremely proud of and the perfect ending.”

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