A dream come true for the people in charge of Formula 1 as they continue to dive deep into the American market and offer some great entertainment. The drivers, for the most part, were eager to go racing in Las Vegas, so the question remains, will the Las Vegas Grand Prix live up to the expectations ?
THE CHALLENGES OF A STREET CIRCUIT
Every street circuit in the calendar has it’s unique challenges, as pedestrian roads are re-worked to fit the needs and demands for a Formula 1 circuit. Being such a big sport the advertising requirements and obligations with regards to grandstands are immense, so it’s a question of how one can balance the needs of the business without affecting the wellbeing of the residents. This balance hasn’t been struck well as over the past weeks and months, bridges and walkways and access to iconic attractions have been taken away from the public. Instead huge grandstands and closed off pathways were installed for people attending the high profile event this weekend. Not to mention the sound pollution impacting the strip this weekend.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?
Well, it’s going to be cold that’s for sure, so drivers need to take extra precautions to warm up their tires before doing a qualifying lap. The temperature is expected to be around 5 degrees for the race which is one degree less than the recorded lowest temperature during a Grand Prix. Adding to the challenges, teams and their drivers will take to a brand new tarmac which isn’t the best at generating mechanical grip. So we can expect an interesting Q1 on Friday as drivers start acclimatizing to the track conditions in the wake of Sundays grand showdown.
Due to the track layout being straight, for the most part, drivers will be asked to go round at full throttle quite a lot. This might not be a huge issue as it would be easy for the drivers, but the power unit will take a beating and some might run the risk of failure. Look out Ferrari fans, luck hasn’t been with your team and if an engine had to go bust, it will be theirs.
RACE WINNERS
The triple World Champion setting a world record everytime we go racing, with every win his outstanding win tally this season continues to go up. Should he conquer the strip and take the chequered flag, he will win the 18th race in a season. We are pricing Max Verstappen to win at 1.20, with the second likely driver to win the race being Lando Norris at 10.00. Lewis Hamilton struggled to get going in Brazil but he will surely be pumped up to the occasion and his expertise in tyre management can come in handy, we are pricing Hamilton to win at 15.00.
PODIUM FINISHERS
Finishing on the podium this season could feel as a win as it’s given that Max Verstappen wins the GP. Charles Leclerc has had a tough season and despite putting in some brilliant displays claiming pole position in a handful of races, he needs the points on a Sunday to come his way. We are pricing Leclerc to finish on the podium at 2.30, with rival Sergio Perez coming in at 2.60 to get back on the famous podium.
Finally we have Oscar Piastri who has had a brilliant debut season, coming in at 9.00.