Carlos Sainz’s hilarious trophy-breaking incident cast a shadow over his victory in the Netflix Cup golf event, which combined Formula 1 talent with golfing prowess ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The first-ever Netflix Cup which is a crossover golf tournament between the Formula 1 and PGA Tour, was won by Carlos Sainz in Las Vegas ahead of the grand prix weekend.
Sainz and his golfing team-mate, two-time Major winner and former world number one Justin Thomas, emerged victorious. However, the Ferrari driver unintentionally dropped and broke the trophy after receiving it.
Sainz and Thomas trounced Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon along with their golfing partners, as Formula 1 gets ready for a big weekend in the city of lights.
Sainz and Thomas prevailed in a nine-hole match against Norris, who was paired with Rickie Fowler, Albon and Max Homa. The pair also won a final-hole shootout against Gasly and Collin Morikawa to claim the trophy.
The victorious duo received a trophy and a bottle of champagne in addition to their chequered flag jackets, which are a parody of the iconic green jacket that The Masters winner receives each year.
However, the Ferrari driver fumbled the trophy and dropped it on the ground while celebrating and posing for the cameras, breaking it in the process. The trophy’s base got detached from its top, leaving the Spaniard shaking his head in disbelief at what had transpired.
Despite this, there was a positive vibe throughout the competition. The Netflix Cup was created as a collaboration between Formula 1 and golf stars. The same production company is behind Drive to Survive and the golf docuseries Full Swing with both having shows on the streaming service.
It is not the first time an F1 driver has crashed a trophy. McLaren’s Lando Norris unintentionally broke Max Verstappen’s trophy during the podium celebrations at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which made for a hilarious incident.
As preparations proceed ahead for Formula 1’s first visit to the city in 41 years, focus will now shift from the drivers to the task at hand: the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
