The much-hyped inaugural Las Vegas GP is tipped to be the coldest Grand Prix ever run in the history of Formula 1. As a result, it is being discussed that the track temperatures are going to be excruciatingly low to fire those Pirelli tires up. Naturally, Fernando Alonso has his own set of presumptions going into the race weekend, per Soy Motor.
While discussing the track conditions on the eve of the Las Vegas GP, Alonso said, “This will also be affected by the low temperatures, in which we are not used to competing this year. It is the opposite of Qatar, for example.”
Race-time temperature is reportedly going to be 55 Fahrenheit, with lows of about 44 Fahrenheit. What this means is that track temperatures are going to be alarmingly low for grip. Further, if the brakes run cold, too, drivers can be locking up at the end of straights that are going to generate speeds of up to 220 mph.
Be that as it may, Alonso has set his sights on eking the maximum out of the Grand Prix weekend, come what may. He explained, “We want to finish the season strong with as many points as possible. It’s true that we are all thinking about 2024, but we want to make sure we go into next campaign in the best possible position and with momentum on our side.”
Safety and racing concerns for the Las Vegas GP shouldn’t come as a surprise, as it is revealed that F1 did not conduct proper due diligence before giving the GP the green signal.
Ross Brawn reveals major gaffe on the eve of the Las Vegas GP
While in conversation with Talksport (as quoted by PlanetF1.com), Brawn revealed, “The one thing we hadn’t considered initially but the tyre company have dealt with is it gets very, very cold at night. “So, it can be really quite cold and of course getting the cars to work in those temperatures can be a challenge.”
This information has gotten a lot of flak from fans online. F1 is already under fire for allegedly prioritizing ‘the show‘ over the sport. However, Brawn’s admission and the subsequent backlash are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of issues plaguing the race.
Locals have been up in arms about how their pedestrian lives have been brought to an abrupt halt because of the circuit construction and race preparations. What’s more, union workers have threatened strikes and boycotted the race in their demands for better pay. To top it all off, the Las Vegas GP is the 2nd worst ticket-seller on the 2023 calendar.
Despite all the negativity, F1 would be clasping their palms in prayer as they would want the weekend to proceed smoothly henceforth. After all, they’ve invested a whopping $500,000,000 of their own money for ownership and stake in the GP.
