Primarily based on earlier outcomes on comparable circuits, Ferrari and McLaren are the pre-race favourites as Components 1 heads to Las Vegas, however two key elements may but journey them up.
That is additionally however a slightly resurgent Pink Bull after Max Verstappen’s thumping victory final outing in Brazil, his win in F1’s return to Sin Metropolis final yr and the way his staff’s automobile packages have been excellent on aerodynamic effectivity proper by the present guidelines period.
That third issue is a trump card on the three.9-mile observe, 1.4 miles of which is the Strip straight alone, with the RB20 more likely to be again in its drag-reducing specification in a bid to make additional positive aspects on this space too.
However Ferrari was on the right track to win in Vegas final yr, with Charles Leclerc repassing controversial early chief Verstappen after which opening up a wholesome benefit over the penalised Dutchman earlier than being undone by the mid-race security automobile.
Key to Ferrari’s tempo final yr was how the SF-23 may fireplace up its tyres within the chilly situations F1 doesn’t usually encounter wherever else.
However after the pink automobiles had been off the tempo within the cool Interlagos rain, Leclerc warned “this yr we have performed a giant step in tyre administration, which implies that we additionally left one thing behind in chilly situations and tyre temperatures identical to [Brazil] was”.
“Las Vegas is a little bit of that state of affairs as properly,” he added.
Leclerc was a robust contender for victory in Las Vegas final yr
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
The cool temperature problem for Vegas is two-fold, with Ferrari’s simulator senior engineer Erik van der Veen explaining this “makes it troublesome to get the tyres in the suitable window for a single push lap, and equally troublesome to maintain them within the window for lengthy runs”.
The observe asphalt has additionally aged because it was put in forward of the 2023 occasion, which suggests it needs to be barely rougher and so the tyres can chew extra on the altered floor and supply the drivers with extra grip.
“Hopefully it should present grip ranges nearer to what we normally encounter and be simpler to work with,” mentioned Aston Martin’s efficiency director Tom McCullough.
Because of this even when Ferrari had not sacrificed its tyre warming benefit for in-race tyre degradation positive aspects – a transfer that improved its bundle general – the observe growing older ought to naturally enhance the opposite groups.
At Aston, McCullough additionally hoped “the traits of the AMR24 will swimsuit this observe a bit higher”, because the inexperienced staff tries strikes on from what was a bruising final triple-header.
“Probably the most comparable circuit to [Vegas] is Baku,” McCullough added. “There are loads of low-speed corners, only a few high-speed corners, and it’s a circuit that requires very excessive aerodynamic effectivity.
“There are many power-limited straight-line zones the place your lap time comes from. Your automobile has received to be quick on the straights not just for lap time, but in addition for raceability.”
Aston Martin hopes Vegas will swimsuit its automobile higher
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photographs
The Baku comparability raises expectations for McLaren after Oscar Piastri beat Leclerc there this yr, with the orange staff additionally locking out the entrance row of the grid at this season’s Italian Grand Prix too – one other venue that options many lengthy straights.
Ferrari will have the ability to unleash its ‘Monza particular’ rear wing bundle from 2023 at Vegas this weekend, however McLaren will be unable to run the wing it utilized in Italy and Baku after agreeing to modify the upper element of its skinniest rear wing.
This adopted the ‘mini-DRS’ controversy of the staff’s then rear wing bundle flexing significantly at high pace and subsequent discussions with the FIA.
Now it can’t accomplish that, each McLaren and Ferrari seem to face a better run for Vegas victory with Pink Bull than the straight-heavy run of Monza and Baku again in September, the place Verstappen’s squad struggled badly round automobile set-up work but it surely feels it has since cracked.