“Overtaking Opportunities Are Limited”: Lewis Hamilton Stresses on the Importance of Good Qualifying as Las Vegas Limitation Highlighted

Sabyasachi Biswas | 18/11/2023
“Overtaking Opportunities Are Limited”: Lewis Hamilton Stresses on the Importance of Good Qualifying as Las Vegas Limitation Highlighted

Lewis Hamilton has recently opened up about a major track characteristic in the ongoing Las Vegas GP. He said that since limited overtaking opportunities will be available, qualifying will be extremely important.

The Mercedes driver said that the Las Vegas GP track is “massively challenging” before adding (as quoted by formule1nieuws.nl), “The track has long straights. The possibilities of overtaking are limited by the low grip and small effect of the slipstream. These conditions make qualifying and tire wear crucial for Las Vegas racing“.

As Hamilton and his teammate George Russell gear up to unleash their speed on Friday night qualification, there wasn’t much to talk about their speed during the practice sessions. While the first practice session ended after just nine minutes, the Mercedes duo finished just P9 and P12 in the second session.

The Silver Arrows need to deliver on Friday as well as Saturday, with Ferrari breathing down their neck in the Constructors’ Championship. However, it will not be that easy for Mercedes as their team faces massive hurdles in their way.

Mercedes faces a tough challenge for Las Vegas GP

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are set to face difficult times ahead when they take on the Las Vegas GP track for qualifying. The W14 is notoriously known for its high drag and tough drivability. Therefore, it’s expected to be extremely difficult for the driver duo to keep up with their cars.

Furthermore, the low temperature of the track is set to be more problematic for the Silver Arrows, as seen in a recent report. All in all, Mercedes are unlikely to be in a top position to start their race weekend.

The issues with the Silver Arrows have gotten so bad that Hamilton wants the season to be gone as soon as possible and start over with the 2024 F1 season already. Nevertheless, for this weekend, Hamilton and George Russell will want to have a solid qualifying due to overtaking limitations, and look to have a headstart on Saturday.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
George Russell Lewis Hamilton Toto Wolff

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Sabyasachi Biswas

Sabyasachi Biswas is an F1 journalist at The SportsRush. With over one and a half decades of love for the sport and five years of experience in the field, he dreams to be a regular at the paddock when the lights go out. A Red Bull fan and F1 fan in general over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen dominate the track. Apart from F1, he's also a big-time Madridista and Federer fanatic. He was a sub-junior level footballer, won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak throughout, he tries different cuisines and learns new cultures whenever he's away from the keyboard.

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