Pirelli announced the use of its three softest tyre compounds in preparation for the nighttime chilly conditions at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The anticipated chilly weather for the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix is one of the major challenges that await Formula 1 teams.
Although night races like the upcoming Las Vegas event are now becoming increasingly common in modern Formula 1 racing, the majority still happen in hot conditions. The new Formula 1 event on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, meanwhile, is predicted to take place in single-digit temperatures when it begins at 10 p.m. local time in the US city.
At the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the C4 tyre compound will serve as the medium while the C5 as the soft compound, with the C3 serving as the hard compound according to Pirelli.
Considering that qualifying begins at midnight on Saturday morning, it may be held in significantly colder temperatures than the practice sessions, which are scheduled for late evenings on Thursday and Friday. Later on Sunday, the race starts at 10 p.m. local time.
“The temperature and the asphalt is quite smooth, according to the information I have,” said Pirelli’s motorsport director Mario Isola.
“So the level of grip will be very poor. I can anticipate this.
“I can imagine that with these cold conditions, super-cold conditions, and a circuit that is not generating a lot of energy into the tyres, the warm-up will be tricky.”
The lower temperatures, according to Williams driver Alexander Albon, may cause drivers to spend a large portion of the qualifying session warming up their tyres rather than completing push laps.
“It’s clear that it’s very high speed. It feels extremely quick when you’re driving on the simulator,” Albon said of the new Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
“A lot of the corners are even flat still. So there’s not so many corners, which obviously favours us. Should be four degrees, five degrees [Celsius] I think, which will be interesting.”
In order to get the tyres up to the proper temperature before beginning a flying lap, Albon stated that drivers could need to complete three or four warmup laps for qualifying.
The same three compounds will be used at the Yas Marina for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, according to Pirelli.
A race in Las Vegas has long been desired by F1 owners Liberty Media. They have huge expectations for the newest event on the calendar, which is also the first Formula One race to be held within the region in more than 40 years and the third round to be held in the US this season.
