Will the Las Vegas GP be the coldest F1 race ever?

The Las Vegas GP is expected to have temperatures ranging between 5-10ºC.

Will the Las Vegas GP be the coldest F1 race ever?

A representative image for the Las Vegas GP (image via F1)

Formula 1 will soon head to the United States for the Las Vegas GP. This race would be the penultimate round of the season with F1 expecting it to be a grand success. F1’s commercial rights owner Liberty Media has invested over $400 Million for the inaugural Vegas GP. However, concerns have been raised over the expected temperatures for the weekend.

The Las Vegas GP will start at 10 p.m. local time. Temperatures at the iconic Las Vegas Strip usually range between 5-10 or 41-50ºF. Perhaps, this number might even drop lower during the weekend. This could have a massive impact on the race as drivers would need to warm their tires to the optimal level to obtain the desired grip and performance. Certainly, teams would rely heavily on tire blankets for the race.

The race might achieve the record for the coldest race in F1 history. The current record lies with the 1978 Canadian GP when the temperatures dropped to 5ºC in Montreal. The track temperatures might cause drivers to struggle with the handling and performance of their cars. Subsequently, it would be a major challenge for the entire grid.

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Las Vegas GP could be a big unknown for F1 teams and drivers

The highly-anticipated street race might be a major challenge for F1 teams and drivers. The low temperatures would inevitably affect the race strategies for the entire grid in Las Vegas. Pirelli’s F1 chief Mario Isola admitted that it would be the first time F1 would race in such low temperatures since the Italian giant took over as the sport’s tire supplier.

It is probably the first time that we expect conditions this cold.

Mario Isola told The Atheltic
A representative image of the Las Vegas GP
A representative image of the Las Vegas GP

Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg have admitted that they would need to ensure that stay warm to avoid any safety hazards while racing at the iconic Strip. Moreover, the Las Vegas GP could witness several incidents over the course of the weekend. As drivers might face difficulty in trying to keep it clean on the tight street circuit.

Formula 1 has massive ambitions for the Las Vegas GP. The sport expects to receive hefty returns from the street race in the long term. However, the Grand Prix has already faced several hurdles along the way. As such, it remains to be seen if the Las Vegas GP could turn out to be a success for the pinnacle of motorsport.

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