Las Vegas, a circuit with a spectacular scenery

After Miami and Austin, the United States is hosting a third Formula 1 Grand Prix. The ten teams are now heading to Las Vegas, in Nevada, for this brand new addition to the calendar. Between glamour and extravagance, Liberty Media, the owner of F1, has gone all out to ensure a spectacular show.

The Grand Prix of all madness

If drivers and fans are dying of impatience to discover a new circuit, it is nevertheless not the first time that cars have raced in Las Vegas. Seduced by the excitement surrounding the Long Beach Grand Prix in California, Caesars Palace thus chose to finance the 1981 Formula 1 World Championship finale. A track was quickly built on a vacant lot that served as a hotel parking lot. The event was renewed in 1982, but then disappeared due to the lack of interest in F1 in the United States.

Forty years later, things have changed significantly. Spanning a distance of 6.12 kilometers, the 2023 route, built in a counterclockwise direction, follows the city’s main arteries, including the famous Strip. With 17 turns and two DRS zones spread across three straightaways, one of which measures nearly 2km, top speeds are estimated to exceed 340 km/h. The track thus offers abrupt braking zones at the end of the straight before long medium-speed turns and a few fast curves.

After Jeddah, Baku, Monaco, and Singapore, this is the 5th race of the season to take place at night. Unprecedented detail: this one will take place on Saturday at 10 PM, local time. A chance to enjoy the backdrop illuminated by the city lights as the drivers pass by the fake Eiffel Tower, Caesar’s Palace, and the legendary Bellagio Hotel.

Except that at this time of the year, the temperature drops considerably at night. It is not impossible for temperatures to drop below 10° by race time, which is a rare condition that drivers and teams are not accustomed to. If we add to that the endless straight lines, the challenge will be to succeed in getting the tires up to temperature and keeping them in a good window.

A spectacular show

To inaugurate this new circuit, the organizers have planned an unprecedented opening ceremony. In addition to a big concert and the presence of Cirque du Soleil, there will be a grand light show directly on the starting line. Not to mention the two fireworks and a drone choreography. The show promises to be spectacular, the question remains whether it will be equally impressive on the track.

The Pirelli Choice

Considering the smooth asphalt and autumn temperatures, Pirelli decides to bring its range of softest tires, namely the C3 (hard tires), C4 (medium tires), and C5 (soft tires).

The surface will be a mixture of the usual asphalt of the streets, especially on the current Strip, as well as other parts that have been completely resurfaced for the occasion, adding another unknown element. All sessions will take place at night, with unusual ambient and track temperatures for a race weekend, closer to those encountered during pre-season testing in Europe. These long straight lines also make it more difficult to bring the tires up to temperature during qualifying, as well as to keep them in the right window, explained in a statement by Mario Isola, head of the F1 branch at Pirelli.