Low temperatures and long straights have so far given us many surprises in these first two days in Las Vegas. Both McLaren cars were eliminated in Q1, while Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton did not take part in the final battle, exiting in Q2. What could the race tomorrow have in store for us? We hope for a bit of spectacle.
The seven-time champion of Mercedes had shown good race pace, the same can be said for Checo and Sainz. With these drivers starting in P10, P11, and P12 respectively, the hope is to witness some nice comebacks. Leclerc, starting from pole, will also try to achieve his first seasonal victory by beating Verstappen, who will start alongside him.
Pirelli’s advice – GP Las Vegas – 50 laps
The anticipation is growing. While we wait, let’s take a look at Pirelli’s indications regarding the possible strategies with which teams will face the race tomorrow: “The Hard and the Medium are the most suitable compounds to tackle the 50 laps scheduled. The options on the table are varied and depend on both the sets that the teams choose to return at the end of the day and how much the graining effect will weigh, present significantly again today with the track almost returning to the conditions of yesterday’s start, especially due to the reopening of city traffic,” said Mario Isola to the tire manufacturer’s columns.
“If tomorrow this phenomenon should prove less penalizing, then the single stop should be the fastest. Otherwise, the double pit stop could be competitive. At that point, the choice of which compounds to use more will also depend on the decisions made today and, perhaps, a window could open to use the Soft in the final part of the race,” concluded the Pirelli motorsport director.
Medium, a safe choice, then the puzzle
Low temperatures and an undemanding layout for tires would lead to think that the Soft C5 and the Medium C4 are the best compounds to complete the 50 laps of the Las Vegas GP. However, both yesterday and today, drivers often found themselves dealing with graining, an effect that could compromise the car’s competitiveness during stints. Being a phenomenon that is more evident on softer compounds, the manufacturer has thought to guide the teams towards a more conservative choice, urging them to use the Hard C3.
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Probably tomorrow, more than one will choose to face the GP with a Medium-Hard stop, but given the low temperatures, drivers may have difficulty bringing the tires up to temperature. In this sense, not only could the overcut be very powerful, but also deciding to sustain two stops and aiming for Medium and Soft sets could have its advantages. In Las Vegas, overtaking should not be a taboo, so even making an extra stop could be a competitive choice.
We should witness a great strategic variance between those who will try a M-H stop and those who will go directly for two, setting up a race on two sets of Soft and one of Medium, or two of Medium and one of Soft. The remaining sets available will certainly tip the balance in the last scenario. Pirelli also hypothesizes a two-stop strategy that involves the use of the Hard. We’ll see…
The house of the Long P relies on the harder compounds, but with the possibility of rain in the afternoon in Las Vegas, a few hours before the start of the race (which should then take place on dry ground), the Soft could play an important role not only at the end of the GP but also at the start (22:00 local time, 07:00 Italian time).
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