After two editions held in 1981 and 1982 on the observe arrange round Caesars Palace, System 1 made its grand return to Las Vegas final 12 months. The occasion grew to become a real weekend spectacle, as anticipated, whereas additionally delivering loads of on-track motion with a number of overtakes, some that includes spectacular braking maneuvers on the finish of the observe’s longest straight.
The circuit spans 6.201 kilometers, making it the second-longest on the calendar after Spa-Francorchamps (7.004 km), with 17 corners to be tackled 50 instances. It’s a reasonably quick format, that includes three straights and high speeds that reached 350 km/h final 12 months. The observe affords a mixture of corners, from high-speed sections the place rear-end traction may be difficult, to slower segments like chicanes.
In comparison with 2023, groups now have a full season behind them, higher familiarity with the observe and the tires, making it fascinating to see how they adapt to the challenges and low temperatures of Las Vegas. Temperature swings between day and night time are vital as a result of metropolis’s location within the Mojave Desert. Furthermore, scheduling the race on the finish of November means circumstances are removed from spring-like.
It’s possible that automobiles will run in air temperatures round 10°C, whereas observe temperatures shall be barely larger however nonetheless chilly. Final 12 months, the utmost recorded observe temperature was simply 19°C.
As is customary for a avenue circuit, Pirelli has chosen the softest compounds from its vary for this race: C3 as Exhausting, C4 as Medium, and C5 as Comfortable, the identical choice as in 2023. The important thing problem of the weekend shall be warming up the tires, particularly throughout qualifying periods, with explicit consideration required for the entrance axle. Drivers might want to rigorously carry the tires as much as the suitable temperature with out over-stressing them whereas avoiding lock-ups in crucial braking zones, similar to these on the finish of lengthy straights. It’s necessary to think about that tires have a tendency to chill on straights, growing the danger of locking up throughout braking.
Moreover, as seen final 12 months, low temperatures cut back grip, which raises the probability of graining. This might additionally result in quicker put on, favoring two-stop methods, which had been well-liked final 12 months partly resulting from race neutralizations attributable to particles. Nevertheless, a single pit cease stays an choice.
Because of the challenges of warming up the tires, early pit stops geared toward gaining positions are usually not very efficient. Pirelli notes that extending a stint tends to be extra useful, because the tires are already as much as temperature.
It’s value emphasizing that this 12 months, groups get pleasure from a 12 months’s preparation, which may make them higher geared up for the Las Vegas problem. The 2023 expertise shall be priceless not just for the groups but additionally for Pirelli.
A big quantity of knowledge on grip ranges and asphalt roughness was collected and shared with the groups, who in flip offered their simulations. One of many first duties for each the groups and the Italian tire provider shall be to confirm the preliminary roughness and grip ranges of the observe and examine them with final 12 months’s knowledge. This shall be performed in the course of the ordinary on-track inspections and thru subsequent analyses.
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