Sunday’s F1 headlines are turning towards Las Vegas, where an eagerly anticipated race is set to take the spotlight on the F1 calendar.
Preparations in Nevada are in full swing as Formula 1 gears up for the upcoming event, involving significant efforts to make the city race-ready, even incorporating unique playing card-style kerbs (worth checking out, seriously).
Teams and drivers are already en route to America for the final double-header of the 2023 season. Here’s a peek at the top stories making waves in Sunday’s F1 news:
Mercedes now know where Brazilian GP troubles lie
Mercedes’ Insights on Brazilian GP Challenges
Mercedes’ team principal, Toto Wolff, revealed the team’s in-depth analysis to pinpoint the issues faced at Interlagos last weekend, identifying the root cause.
Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell struggled with low straight-line speed, getting overtaken in DRS zones. Hamilton finished in eighth, while Russell had to retire due to concerns about his power unit.
With just two races remaining, Mercedes is confident they’ve identified the missteps in Sao Paulo.
“After promising performances in the US and Mexico, we didn’t perform at our best in Brazil,” Wolff said.
“We have been hard at work to identify the wrong turn we took with the set-up; we have done that. We understand our mistakes and can explain our performance loss to the field. That’s important as we look to secure P2 in the Constructors’ Championship.
“In parallel, we have been preparing for the challenge of racing at a venue that is a complete unknown. We have prepared the best we can, using the limited information we have, and there are some unique characteristics we can anticipate.”
Pirelli preparing for tyre complaints in cold Las Vegas nights
Mario Isola, the head of Pirelli’s motorsport division, anticipates that F1’s tire manufacturer will take the spotlight in discussions in Las Vegas, specifically concerning concerns about tire warm-up.
The sprawling long straights at the new Vegas circuit combined with frigid night temperatures, expected to plummet as low as 3°C, heighten worries regarding tire warm-up, posing a significant challenge for drivers and teams during the upcoming weekend.
Even with the utilization of Pirelli’s softest tire range, the track layout and cold temperatures may pose considerable challenges for drivers to manage over the duration of a racing stint.
“I believe that we are going to talk about Pirelli in Vegas because of the temperature,” Isola admitted.
“The asphalt is quite smooth according to the information I have and so the level of grip will be very poor, I can anticipate this.
“Even if we selected the three softest compounds in the range, I can imagine that with these super cool conditions and a circuit that is not generating a lot of energy into the tyre, the warm up will be tricky.”
Max Verstappen issues blunt response to concerns his dominance ‘not good for F1’
Max Verstappen remains unworried about the impact of his Formula 1 dominance on the sport overall, asserting that a true enthusiast would value how the top teams operate.
As Formula 1 gears up for its return to the United States this week, Verstappen employed a well-known basketball analogy to explain his perspective.
“The NBA survived when the Chicago Bulls were dominating,” he told TIME magazine.
“At the time, or even afterwards, people are like, ‘Oh, that was amazing.’ If you are a real fan of the sport, you should be able to appreciate a team doing very well.
“I don’t think it was necessarily bad what was happening to Formula 1, because we were just better than everyone else. If people can’t appreciate that, then you are not a real fan.”
Toto Wolff gives light to Mike Elliott departure
Following the surprising departure of Mercedes’ veteran technical head, Mike Elliott, Toto Wolff clarified that Elliott sought to take a step back from the realm of Formula 1.
The Mercedes team principal expressed that Elliott’s exit harbored no animosity, highlighting him as one of the sharpest minds he’s encountered in the sport.
“I think it’s clear Mike was one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever worked with, great personality and a lovely family and he has contributed so much to the team’s success over the last 11 years that he’s been there,” Wolff told Channel 4.
“And it’s just been super tough for him in the last two years. He felt like he needed a break from Formula 1, he needed to consolidate what he wants to do and we’ve respected that decision.”
Where are they now? Las Vegas edition
Bringing a touch of nostalgia, Formula 1’s comeback to Las Vegas occurs over 40 years after the unfortunate Caesars Palace Grands Prix of the early 1980s.
This return to Sin City marks a considerably larger and more grandiose event. Still, taking a trip down memory lane, we’ve delved into the past, reflecting on the names that graced the grid during the last race in Vegas.
For enthusiasts of Formula 1 history, this retrospective journey is a special treat – a nostalgic nod to the sport’s bygone eras.
