SEPANG, Malaysia: Formula One officials launched an inspection of every drain cover at the Sepang circuit Friday after Romain Grosjean suffered a frightening tire explosion during Malaysian Grand Prix practice.
A drain grille, which should have been welded down securely, popped up at a kerb on turn nine after Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari drove over it.
A few seconds later Grosjean hit the same spot at more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) an hour, with disastrous effect.
The impact instantly ripped his right rear tire from its rim and threw his Haas into the barriers.
Happily Grosjean was able to walk away, and declared “I’m all right” as the second practice session was red-flagged with 20 minutes remaining with a gaping hole left in the track.
“I’ve just seen the footage. I didn’t see anything,” Grosjean told reporters.
“The next thing I knew was that the car was not there any more. It was just spinning and heading for the wall.”
Race director Charlie Whiting said that the cover had been welded down but had broken loose and would be replaced.
Asked if that meant his crew now had to inspect and repair every drain cover on the 5.543-kilometer layout, Whiting said: “Yes. For the rest of the day we shall concentrate on that. They’ve been welded a long time I expect.
“So we shall re-weld where necessary and then tonight we shall check everything. We have to get it fixed for tomorrow.”
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo said it was not something that any driver wanted to worry about when entering a corner at high speed.
“Hopefully they check all the drains tonight,” the Australian told reporters after practice.
“Obviously it needs some attention. Because you do not want to think about it in the race. Some corners you really need to use the kerbs to let the corner flow and to use the momentum flow. So hopefully they fix it all.”
His team boss Christian Horner echoed the concern. “It was a good thing that nobody was hurt,” he told a press conference.
“Obviously the session was stopped and I’m sure all the covers will be inspected vigorously before tomorrow’s running so there are no repeat issues.”
Formula One: Drain cover blow-out prompts track safety check
Formula One: Drain cover blow-out prompts track safety check
Sixth Dakar Rally win for Al-Attiyah as Benavides triumphs on two wheels
Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah won the Dakar Rally for the sixth time in the car category on Saturday as Argentina’s Luciano Benavides won by two seconds on two wheels, the narrowest margin ever.
Al-Attiyah, with Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin, had led overnight after taking his 50th career stage win and made no mistakes as he handed Dacia a first victory at their second attempt in the two-week event held entirely in Saudi Arabia.
The 55-year-old Qatari also won in 2011, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Ford’s Nani Roma finished second, nine minutes and 42 seconds behind, and teammate Mattias Ekstrom was third after winning the final stage.
Last year’s winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi of Saudi Arabia withdrew in the opening week after mechanical problems.
Benavides had earlier taken the motorcycle title after American Ricky Brabec lost his way and saw victory slip through his fingers.
The KTM rider, whose older brother Kevin won the Dakar in 2021 and 2023, came home second in the 105-km stage in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu, with Honda’s overnight leader Brabec 10th.
In a grueling endurance event spanning two weeks and 8,000km over rocky roads, through canyons and vast expanses of desert dunes, twice winner Brabec blew his chances with only a few kilometers remaining.
Spaniard Tosha Schareina finished third overall for Honda.
“From the start to the finish I never stopped dreaming, I never stopped believing,” said Benavides, who had trailed Brabec by three minutes and 20 seconds after Friday’s penultimate stage.
“I said to all my people around ‘I don’t know why but I still feel it’s possible, I still believe I can win and it’s going to go my way’.
“In the last three kilometers, Ricky took a wrong piste and I took a good one... I just saw the opportunity and I took it.”
American Skyler Howes was fourth overall for Honda, ahead of Australia’s 2025 champion Daniel Sanders on a KTM.
Sanders crashed on stage 10 but refused to retire and raced on despite a suspected broken collarbone.
