How F1 teams are preparing to race Vegas’ cold desert nights

Formula 1’s return to the American desert, a first in more than four decades, offered up-close racing and myriad of overtakes, proving that the F1 circus and the accompanying spectacle of Las Vegas were made for each other. As the circus sets up in Sin City once again this week, teams up and down the grid won’t be leaving things up to Lady Luck for the race. They’re armed with intel and prepared for any roll of the dice Vegas has to give, including its cold, desert nights.

“Last year was the first year in Las Vegas, so the teams and drivers 1732123994 have data and experience, which means they will start the weekend in a more familiar place,” explains Ciaron Pilbeam, technical director of performance at the Alpine F1 Team. Teams went into the latest iteration of the Las Vegas Grand Prix blind, and had to get to grips with the new track surface and cool evening temperatures on the fly. 

The whole paddock this year, will be armed with terabytes worth of data on lap times, tire wear and engine performance that they’ll be hoping will hold the key to taking home the jackpot as they contend with Vegas’ unchanged evening conditions, which are expected to average around 14°C (57°F). In particular, Pilbeam says teams know a great deal more about degradation and performance of the Pirelli tires, which is vital given the low nighttime temperatures and unique layout of the Las Vegas track. 

Getting caught out on track and struggling to get the soft Pirelli rubber in the right operating window reduces grip and increases the chances of graining on the surface of the tires, which further reduces performance. Thankfully, the data picked up during the 2023 race is helping strategists better understand the behaviour of the Pirelli compounds for this year’s race. It also aided in Pirelli’s 2024 tire selection, which will once again offer its softest C3, C4, and C5 compounds in an attempt to counter some of the grip that’s lost in the cooler night race conditions. 

As was the case in 2023, teams may need to run an additional warm up lap in qualifying to counteract the cooler temperatures. The long straights that make up the majority of the Vegas’ circuit proved difficult for drivers to keep their tires within the operating window over the course of a lap. Additionally, limited…