The show goes on in Vegas! Wags and influencers out in force for the Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton arrives in a flamboyant red outfit and Carlos Sainz speaks about THAT loose drain cover at a fan event

It was far from an ideal start to the race weekend in Las Vegas, but a new day brought a new start for Formula 1 in Sin City.

Friday turned into a farce when the first practice session was abandoned after just eight minutes when a drain cover came loose on the track, causing significant damage to Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.

Fans were furious but the 3.8 meter track had to be inspected for any further problems.

But on Saturday evening, with another practice session and qualifying looming, the drivers returned to the track.

Sainz even made good on his promise to appear at a fan event in the city and appeared to be having a great time with fellow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.

Elsewhere, Carlos Sainz, who drove over the loose drain cover on Thursday, was at a fan event

Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate George Russell arrived with girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt

Influencer and model Veronika Rajek was also spotted on the circuit in Las Vegas

Francisca Gomes, Pierre Gasly’s girlfriend, was seen having fun in the paddock

Sainz was penalized with a 10-place grid penalty for repairs to his car after driving over the drain cover. When he talked about it earlier on Friday, he looked much less happy than he did during his fan event appearance.

‘Unfortunately the team told me when the session ended that I was being given a 10 place grid penalty for something that was not my fault and the team’s fault and obviously this has completely changed my mentality and my opinion about the weekend and how the weekend will go. From now on,” said Sainz.

“You won’t see me very happy this weekend. What happened today is for me a very clear example of how this sport can be improved in so many ways.”

Lewis Hamilton was spotted arriving in a flamboyant all-red outfit and sunglasses that turned heads in the City of Light.

The Mercedes driver said ahead of the race that the cold temperatures at night presented a unique challenge for drivers this week and that it was 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) when he arrived at the track on Friday.

And the WAGs and influencers were out in force too.

George Russell, Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, arrived at the circuit with his girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt. Francisca Gomes, Pierre Gasly’s girlfriend, was also seen smiling as she walked through the paddock.

And influencer and model Veronika Rajek was also spotted training and qualifying. She is known to some as a big Tom Brady fan, but her sporting interests clearly also extend to F1.