The low-grip headaches that will dictate strategy in F1’s Las Vegas GP

Formula 1 chiefs may have been hard at work to improve their cherished Las Vegas Grand Prix for its sophomore outing, but what hasn’t changed one bit is the technical challenge that will decide over victory and defeat, and over the possible crowning of a world champion.

The newly-added ice skating rink F1 installed on the roof of its swanky paddock building was conceived as a bit of fun, but it may well have been a nod to the state of the 6.2km track’s surface.

Much like last year, the extreme lack of grip on the busy city roads combined with near-glacial temperatures caused teams all sorts of engineering headaches, while drivers earned their keep trying to keep any slipping and sliding to a minimum.

After Mercedes had already impressed in practice, a last-minute effort by George Russell earned him pole over Carlos Sainz. Pierre Gasly took a shock third grid slot for Alpine ahead of Charles Leclerc and championship rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, showing just the type of upsets Nevada’s desert can enable.

What will teams have to deal with in the race?

Saturday night’s 50-lap race won’t be any easier, because the factors that made it hard for drivers to keep their tyres alive will only be made worse on long runs. What doesn’t help grip levels is the fact that the street layout has been reopened for regular road traffic overnight. But the biggest factor that will differentiate teams is how they deal with tyre graining.

Graining is the phenomenon whereby the surface of the tyre compounds starts to break up, caused by tyres that are colder than their ideal operating window. That causes bits of rubber to rip off and then stick to the surface, reducing the tyre’s contact patch with the road and with it the grip that it provides.

“The real challenge will be trying to limit the graining,” said McLaren team boss Andrea Stella. “I think even in the long run that Red Bull did this morning in FP3, they started on a new set of mediums and after a few laps [they were] gone. This sets some difficulties from a strategic point of view.”

Pirelli chief Mario Isola is expecting drivers to have to adapt their driving styles at the start of a stint to reduce the severity. “The track is in a very similar condition compared to last year, so no surprises,” he said. “We found it’s the lowest grip of the season. Especially on high fuel, the first few laps are the…