Lando Norris gives thumbs up after recovering from HUGE 180mph crash on just the fourth lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix which sent McLaren driver to the hospital’

• The McLaren driver initially was recovering after staring down in P16 position
• But he looked to lose control of his tires as he span and hit the side barriers
• Follow all the latest action in the Las Vegas Grand Prix with our LIVE BLOG 

Lando Norris has given an update on his health after he was sent to the hospital following a heavy 180mph crash at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver was in P13 when he looked to lose control on just turn 14 of the race on the fourth lap, causing him to spin in to the barrier.

The British driver had recovered well from his starting P16 position after a poor performance at qualifying.

But – after previously criticising the condition of the surfaces in Vegas – this is now his first retirement in a race since the 2022 Brazilian GP.

The crash sent the young driver to the University Medical Center hospital for ‘further precautionary investigations’, but he was later discharged.

Lando Norris steps out of his car after crashing on the fourth lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix

The McLaren driver hit hard into the barriet after his rear axle locked and he spun out

The McLaren team has since posted to their social media account to let fans know that Norris is doing okay. 

Fans were quick to respond to the statement. One X user wrote: ‘It’s great to see that you’re doing well, Lando. Safety should always come first.’

Another fan wrote: ‘So glad to see Lando is alright and back with the team. Rest up champ and see you soon’. 

One social media said: ‘I’m so glad to see you smiling again Lando. It’s good to see you back and so glad you are OK!’.

While another added: ‘So glad to see this! We stayed up waiting for this news. Take care Lando and excited to watch you race again soon.’ 

Fans were delighted to hear Norris was okay after the accident but vented their frustrations over the condition of the track in Las Vegas.  

Low temperatures combined with a brand new tarmac laid down with very little rubber meant none of the drivers had much grip.

The track temperature today was roughly 16 degrees as opposed to a usual temperature of 50. Therefore, the drivers faced a battle in keeping their tires warm to keep grip. 

Fans were delighted to hear Norris was okay after the accident but vented their frustrations over the condition of the track in Las Vegas after Carlos Sainz’s incident

The first session was called off after Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari hit a loose manhole cover

For Norris’ crash in particular, the driver locked the rear axle as a result of the low grip and cold tyres. The McLaren driver was a total passenger the moment his rear overtook his cockpit. 

F1 also hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons when the first session was called off after Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari hit a loose manhole cover, causing damage to his car.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said the situation was ‘unacceptable’. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff defended the Las Vegas circuit and swore at a journalist when they suggested the situation was bad for F1 as a whole. 

‘It’s completely ridiculous,’ Wolff said. ‘How can you even dare trying to talk bad about an event that sets the new standards to everything?

‘And then you’re speaking about a [expletive deleted] drain cover that’s been undone. That has happened before. That’s nothing.

‘Give credit to the people that have set up this grand prix, that have made this sport much bigger than it ever was.

‘[F1’s owners] Liberty has done an awesome job and just because in FP1 a drain cover has become undone we shouldn’t be moaning.

‘The car is broken, that’s really a shame. For Carlos it could have been dangerous, so between the FIA and the track everybody needs to analyse how we can make sure that this is not happening again.

‘But talking here about a black eye for the sport on a Thursday evening? Nobody watches that in European time anyway. Come on.’

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