Ross Brawn admits that Formula 1 did not anticipate the low temperatures in Las Vegas

The low nighttime temperatures of Las Vegas were underestimated by Formula 1. Ross Brawn, former managing director of F1 until 2022, agrees with this. The British man was still in office when F1 officially announced the return of the Las Vegas Grand Prix to the calendar for the first time since 1982.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place this Saturday evening at 10pm, to be broadcast at 7am in France. In the middle of November, the temperatures in the city of Nevada can drop down to 4-5°C. While tire manufacturer Pirelli has found a solution to deal with these temperatures by bringing their softest range of tires for this race weekend, the FOM did not anticipate this autumn cold. In an interview with talkSPORT radio, the former engineer declared: « The only thing we didn’t anticipate initially, but that the tire manufacturer managed, is that it gets very, very cold at night. So, when the race takes place, on Saturday evening, we know it drops to three or four degrees. »

« It can therefore get very cold and, of course, operating cars at these temperatures can be a challenge. Tire manufacturers have done work to ensure that tires can handle this. We are certainly facing new challenges that we have never encountered before, but I think it will be spectacular », continued Ross Brawn.

What are the consequences for the race?

It will depend exactly on the cold. Because if the track drops to single digits, it’s often a region where you do winter testing. You do a relay, it’s very difficult for the tires to heat up, or there can be graining and other things. And sometimes, you just wait for it to warm up a bit. So, having to race and qualify in these conditions will be interesting. You’re just trying to identify the risks with the new circuit, determine what your possibilities will be, if you need a specific car specification to deal with it. And that’s what we’re experiencing right now, detailed Ross Brawn on talkSPORT.