With less than two weeks to go for the Las Vegas GP, the sport’s authorities have invested well over half a billion dollars in seeing the race becoming a reality. Should the night race on a street circuit become a reality, it will set a precedent for years as the famous city of Las Vegas will become home to another big sporting event.
While the late go-time of the race might be a visual spectacle, the geography of the city will present a unique set of challenges for the cars and the drivers. According to the latest report from The Athletic, the much-anticipated race could also become the coldest race on the F1 calendar. The cold temperatures will certainly affect the performance of the tires, which happens to be one of the most important variables in an F1 car.
Speaking about the same, Pirelli’s Chief, Mario Isola, admitted it will be the first time in history that they will be expecting conditions as cold as they will be in the Las Vegas GP. The average low temperature in Begas through November is around 8° C (46° F), with the expected temperature during the race ranging between 5-10° C (41-50° F).
As such, the Pirelli tires will face their biggest challenge yet. The F1 tires’ design asks for high temperatures for optimum grip. With colder tires, the grip is low, and it leads to drivers making unwanted mistakes. While the tire blankets will allow for the tire temps to go up to 70° C (158° F), drivers will have to take them even higher by pushing their cars through high-speed corners. Given there are only a few high-speed corners and three long straights, the drivers will face a loss of all the temperature they build in each lap.
The Las Vegas GP temperature predictions have fans worried for the drivers
In view of some very concerning reports, fans took to X to express their worries over the safety and well-being of the drivers, especially after antics from the Qatar GP.
One fan pointed out how they felt everything was going downhill for the Las Vegas GP.
While another asked what measures were being taken to ensure correct tire temperatures.
A couple of others pointed out how the upcoming race was going to be a “recipe for disaster.”
With hundreds of millions on the line, the success of the Las Vegas GP is crucial for F1 and its authorities, who are looking to spread the presence of the sport throughout America. Should the race fail, it will mark one of the sport’s biggest losses in its 77-year history.
