Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance: Las Vegas is the latest addition to the calendar and whilst the city has previously hosted a Formula One race, this circuit is new and represents exciting progress in the worldwide growth of F1.
The circuit is long and has relatively few grip-limited corners; in terms of basic characteristics, it lies between Spa and Monza. As the sessions are held at night, the track and air will both be cold. This will affect the car setup in terms of PU and brake cooling but, more significantly, is expected to alter the tyre behaviour. Pirelli have brought the softest compounds from their 2023 range, which is the same as we had in Monza. We expect that generating temperature in the tyre without damaging the tyre surface will be key to generating good grip. Exactly how best to achieve this will depend on the new track surface and how it has aged since it was laid.
There is good reason to think that Las Vegas will suit the FW45 better than the tracks that we have recently visited, however, the unknowns of a new track, unusually cold conditions and the complexity of running through the night will act to level the playing field and give every team an opportunity to outperform their underlying cars. We are under no illusion that this will be a tricky test for the whole team and the drivers and whilst we will not be complacent, we know that we can be agile and effective in these circumstances. This weekend is a good opportunity to stretch our gap to AlphaTauri in the Constructors’ Championship and we will take every chance to do just that.
Alex Albon: Heading to Las Vegas, I’m excited to see what this track has to offer. From the outside it looks like a relatively simple track but on the simulator it’s not. It’ll be hard to extract the most out of the car due to the low downforce and awkward corners. The hype around Vegas has been massive, so I’m looking forward to experiencing it!
Logan Sargeant: Las Vegas marks my third and final home race of the season and I’m excited for the week to get underway. Driving under the lights of all the hotels down the strip will be an iconic moment. I’ve raced in Vegas multiple times in karting as a kid, so to be able to go back there and race in F1 is going to feel special. Hopefully we can have a strong race and make it a memorable weekend for the fans and team.
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