A class action lawsuit has been filed against Formula One's Las Vegas Grand Prix after fans were forced to miss almost all of the opening two practice sessions on Thursday.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz struck a loose drain cover on the track in the opening session which was abandoned after nine minutes.

Organisers then worked to repair the cover and check others on the track, delaying the start of the second session from the scheduled midnight start to 2.30 am.

The extended second practice took place in front of empty stands after fans were sent out of the venue because venue staff had passed the end of their legal worktime.

F1 and Las Vegas Grand Prix offered $200 (R3,660) merchandise vouchers for fans who had bought single session tickets for Thursday but their compensation did not cover fans who attended as part of multi-day packages.

The Dimopoulos Law Firm and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting filed the suit Friday in Nevada District Court.

Five individuals were named as plaintiffs in the suit, which is seeking compensatory and general damages.

"We will vindicate the rights of the fans that travelled great distances and paid small fortunes to attend, but were deprived of the experience,” Dimopoulos Law Firm owner and lead attorney Steve Dimopoulos told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

An F1 spokesman, contacted by AFP, confirmed the class action, without wishing to comment further.

"Our priority is to ensure that our fans have an entertaining experience in a safe and secure environment," said a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Agence France-Presse