Formula 1 is gearing up for its first Las Vegas GP in 40 years. Here’s all you need to know.
The Las Vegas GP will be making its debut on the Formula 1 calendar this season. This means that the Formula 1 drivers will have to get used to an entirely new track. They will then have to perform in challenging weather conditions. From another Max Verstappen win to a Fernando Alonso fightback, here is everything we can expect from the Las Vegas GP.
The Track
The Las Vegas GP is 6.2 km long with a straight that is more than 1 km long. There are a total of 17 corners in this anti-clockwise circuit. The track runs by the now-famous MGM Sphere, and through the Las Vegas Boulevard, also known as the Strip.
The track has two long straights followed by hard braking zones that will cause mayhem.
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Previous Winners
As we mentioned, Formula 1 is racing at this Las Vegas GP circuit for the first time. However, like any race, Max Verstappen is going to be the favourite to win this race. With the recent resurgence in Brazil and the abundance of slow-speed corners, Fernando Alonso will be hoping to upset the apple cart.
However, despite expectations, the extreme weather conditions will give everyone a shot at victory, not just Max Verstappen or Fernando Alonso.
Weather and the Pirellis
Going into the Las Vegas GP weekend, the weather has been the major talking point of the race. We will be having a night race in a desert in the middle of November. This means that temperatures will get extremely low.
Forecasts suggest a minimum temperature of 6-9 degrees Celsius. The Las Vegas GP might break the record of the coldest Formula 1 race ever if the weather drops below 5ºC. Nobody knows how the Pirelli tyres will react to these kinds of temperatures.
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Additionally, there is more than a 50% chance of rain during FP3. This will give teams one less practice to get used to the Las Vegas GP circuit. Moreover, there is a decent chance of rain during Qualifying and the race as well.
All in all, we are heading towards a potentially record-breaking and chaotic race for Formula 1.