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Fernando Alonso Urges Las Vegas to Seek Inspiration from Saudi Arabia Over Problems on Track

Anirban Aly Mandal
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Fernando Alonso Urges Las Vegas to Seek Inspiration from Saudi Arabia Over Problems on Track

Fernando Alonso has urged Formula 1 and the FIA to seek inspiration from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to mitigate the problems of the Las Vegas GP track as per reports on X. The Spaniard explained how the track is not very exciting because of the low grip and long straights.

He was quoted on X as saying, The track is not very exciting with these long straights. The asphalt has very little grip. I don’t know why they don’t copy the circuits that we know work, like in Arabia Saudi or other circuits”.

There is low grip on the Las Vegas GP circuit primarily for two reasons. Firstly, the tarmac laid down is brand-spanking new and there have been no support races to ‘lay down the rubber.‘ Secondly, the temperatures in Las Vegas are not high enough for the low-profile Pirelli tires to fire up enough to generate enough grip.

Meanwhile, in Jeddah, the street circuit is laced with high-speed, high-load corners that generate a lot of heat in the tires. Hence, it is easier for the drivers to get the tires working in an optimum window as compared to Las Vegas, where the endless straights don’t allow heat or grip generation. As a result, Alonso is not optimistic about the main race as well.

Fernando Alonso writes off struggling Aston Martin at 2023 Las Vegas GP

After scrapping through to Q3, Fernando Alonso is not too optimistic about his chances in the race tomorrow. This mainly comes from the fact that the Aston Martin is a draggier car than its competition, and hence, lacks out-and-out straight-line speed. “There is nothing I can do,” Alonso told the media.

Alonso’s admissions could come as a disappointment for the Silverstone-based team. Aston Martin were hopeful of getting 4th in the Constructors’ Championship. However, with only two races to go, a bad result at Las Vegas would put them out of contention in their battle with McLaren.

However, it is pertinent to note that McLaren have not performed much better either. Both their cars could not even progress to Q2.

Ferrari produced the major surprise as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz registered the two fastest lap times during the qualifying session. However, although the Spaniard was the second fastest, he will still start in twelfth because of a 10-place grid penalty.

Post Edited By:Vidit Dhawan

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal

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Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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