On the cusp of the first ever night race on the
Las Vegas strip, Formula 1 and commercial rights holder Liberty Media has been
working overtime to hype the event.
For the most part teams too have attempted to
add to the hype. Several teams,
including Red Bull, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo, are running special liveries.
Drivers too have commissioned specially designed helmets to mark the occasion
with Esteban Ocon sporting a Deadpool inspired lid for the weekend.
But the question is can and will Vegas live up
to the hype? Is the hype simply artificially generated by the media or is there
something spectacular that awaits? Vegas is renowned for being a playground for
the rich and the ultimate party city that never sleep. From a spectacle point
of view, it may just achieve the hype that’s been built around it.
However, from a racing point of view, it has some significant challenges to
overcome if it’s going to thrill racing fans.
First, there is the matter of the track layout
itself. Social media has had a field day with the layout, likening it to an
upside-down pig and suggesting that it’s unlikely to produce an exhilarating
race. Naturally, any street circuit is lined with barriers and will prove to be
a challenge for the drivers as the seek to find the limit. Aside from there
that are already several concerns abounding. The pit exit, for example, feeds
directly into the racing line of Turn one and is likely to cause a few problems.
Further to the layout, it is one dominated by
excessively long straights and, therefore, a heck of a lot of time on full
throttle. As the penultimate race of the season teams arrive with cars and
power units that have already done a significant amount of mileage. Given that
the power units will be pushed to the limit there may be more than a few
drivers who will be forced to take grid penalties for the reward of fresh
engine.
The race itself is also scheduled on Saturday
night with temperatures not expected to be in double digits. This poses a
distinct challenge for tyre warm up, despite Pirelli brining the softest
compounds in their range, to the track. With few hard braking points and
extremely long flat-out sections downforce will also be taken off the cars to
promote top-end speed. The lower downforce setups also mean even harder work to
generate and maintain optimum tyre temperatures.
