“Without the Safety Car, I think we would have won.” These were the words of Charles Leclerc at the end of the 2023 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he was already a standout performer from the free practice session at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit
The Monegasque driver for Ferrari quickly gained confidence on a new racing track, the one hosting the penultimate race of the 2023 Formula One season. A track that, according to Charles Leclerc, didn’t impress him much when looking at the layout. “I wasn’t very convinced by the layout, but when I tried it on the simulator, I changed my mind immediately. I love city circuits,” declared the Ferrari driver on the eve of the weekend.
But could Charles Leclerc have really won the Las Vegas GP if there hadn’t been a Safety Car? It’s difficult to say, given that there are many factors to consider. Among these, the tires were certainly put to the test during all sessions due to the low temperatures recorded throughout the weekend. In this regard, Verstappen himself complained during the first stint that the medium tires suffered significantly from graining.
The two Red Bull drivers then took advantage of the Safety Car deployed by the race direction after the contact between Verstappen and Russell to switch to a new set of hard tires. A choice that, despite the fact that the Dutchman had only completed a few laps on a hard tire, turned out to be a winning one.
Looking at the race pace of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, it can be noted that both set very similar lap times throughout the Grand Prix. However, the Monegasque, having made one less pit stop than Red Bull’s rival, began to struggle in the final stages of the race, also due to an intense duel with Sergio Perez. This undoubtedly prevented him from having the necessary pace to challenge Max Verstappen for the final victory.
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The comparison between the race pace of Leclerc and Verstappen. Source: f1ingenerale
Calculating the average lap time over the entire Las Vegas Grand Prix, it can be seen that Charles Leclerc lapped about a tenth and a half faster than Max Verstappen, who, however, was able to exploit a more performance-oriented tire at key moments of the race. It should be noted, however, that the three-time World Champion significantly slowed down his pace in the last laps to provide a tow to his teammate.
It is therefore difficult to say whether Charles Leclerc could have really won the Las Vegas Grand Prix without the Safety Car. Certainly, the SF-23 proved to be very competitive and on par with a Red Bull that seemed unbeatable just a few races ago. A weekend that instills confidence in the Scuderia for the final showdown in Abu Dhabi. The team led by Frederic Vasseur will seek to surpass Mercedes in the fight for the second place in the constructors’ standings.
Source: f1ingenerale
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