Lewis Hamilton encountered a setback at the Bahrain pre-season testing as he kicked off his final season with Mercedes on Thursday, last week. It was his first opportunity to take the wheel of the W15, however, his morning stint was cut short after his car sustained damage from running over a loose drain cover that was dislodged when his future teammate, Charles Leclerc, drove over the entry kerb at Turn 11, causing it to fly into the air.

Mercedes was quick to address the damage taken by Lewis Hamilton’s car, as footage showed them inspecting the floor and conducting the necessary repairs. However, the full extent of the damage remains undisclosed as of now. The Formula 1 authorities quickly responded to the incident by red-flagging the session and repairing the drain cover. Despite the repairs, the issue came back on Day 3 causing the teams to lose even more of the precious testing time. However, Formula 1 has taken measures to make sure that the problem doesn’t return during the race weekend set to start in a couple of days.

Formula 1 has heeded the calls made by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton

Loose drain covers have emerged as a serious concern in this ground-effect era of Formula 1, causing damage to cars and posing risks to drivers. This issue has prompted Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to call for action from the FIA. Both world champions spoke about the importance of thorough checks before driving to prevent any harm to both the drivers and their cars.

“Hopefully the FIA is on top of it and welds these things up well in advance before we get there,“ F1Maximaal quoted Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen echoed a similar sentiment stating, “Certainly, with the ground effect cars it’s probably a bit worse… So before you drive on the weekend, it is a must to check that everything is in order so that we don’t have another situation where cars are vandalized.”

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As expected, the FIA has taken measures so that the incidents involving loose drain covers won’t be repeated during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. Instead of exploring fixes like stronger welds or alternative fastening methods, the FIA has taken decisive action to fill in problematic drains with concrete. And it’s not just the drain cover at Turn 11, the governing body is reportedly inspecting and potentially filling every drain around the circuit with concrete. The images post the repair job were shared recently on the Formula 1 subreddit.

[AlbertFabrega] The water drainage areas that were loosened during the test have already been covered with cement. There is no rain forecast.
byu/JaswanthReddit informula1

2024 Bahrain GP Schedule: F1 Race and Qualifying Timings

While this was the first time Mercedes and Red Bull had to deal with the issue, Ferrari has now been the victim of losing drain covers twice.

Charles Leclerc reminds us why it is important to fix these issues before a racing event

In 2023, Carlos Sainz encountered a loose manhole cover during a free practice session in Las Vegas, resulting in significant damage to his Ferrari and a subsequent grid penalty for repairs. And it’s not just the cars that are affected. Sainz also reported that he couldn’t feel his legs for a short period, meaning that the drivers also carry unnecessary risks with such incidents.

Charles Leclerc, who took damage to the floor of his car, emphasized the seriousness of the matter, highlighting the potential consequences and the need to prevent recurrence in the future. “We need to look at it for the future so it doesn’t happen again,” said the Monegasque driver. “We were lucky that it didn’t happen in a place and situation similar to Vegas, but in Vegas, it was quite serious for Carlos. But I’m sure everyone is working on it and trying to find the best solution for this.”

What are your podium predictions for the upcoming race on Saturday? Share your thoughts in the comments down below.