The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas will probably be an absolute spectacle not only off the track but also on the track. Not only the track layout with mainly tight corners and a straight line over two kilometers long stands out, but also the potential conditions that affect the tires.
The race will take place at 10pm local time on Saturday evening, although nights in the desert in November are expected to be quite cold. According to current forecasts, one should expect air temperatures of around ten degrees Celsius during the race, although the asphalt temperature is unlikely to be particularly high due to the lack of sunlight.
Reason for concern for Formula 1 tire manufacturer Pirelli, who are expecting graining on the tires due to the cold conditions, a formation of bubbles that occurs when the temperature inside the tire differs significantly from the surface temperature of the tires.
Pirelli: Teams won’t get much heat in tires
“Due to the cold, the expected ambient temperature and the long straights, we will probably measure a difference between the surface temperature, which cools down, and the temperature inside,” explains Pirelli sports director Mario Isola. “And that could lead to some grain, but that’s not yet certain.”
“We have chosen the three softest tire compounds [C3 bis C5] decided because the temperatures are expected to be very low. As far as the route is concerned, we conducted simulations with the teams in advance compared to the usual procedure to understand the severity of the route.”
“And it has been confirmed that, although the track has high speeds, it is not very demanding in terms of the corners, because there are no high-speed corners like in Silverstone, where you have to put a lot of energy. The asphalt is not quite suitable for the road, should but have a low roughness.”
“The roughness of the asphalt, the layout and the lower temperature mean we won’t get much heat in the tires. This means you can cool the tire down on the long straight.”
“It’s similar in Baku, where a few years ago, I remember one year, it was quite cold and where you lost more than 30 degrees in surface temperature from the beginning to the end of the straight. And if you lose 30 or 40 degrees, “You can feel it when braking. You don’t have the tire that’s really like that in a normal situation.”
Las Vegas a great opportunity for “tire eaters”?
Teams that normally get the tires up to temperature quickly and tend to overheat and wear out the tires later should have an advantage in Las Vegas. In addition, top speed is a decisive factor, which is made up of the engine power and the aerodynamic efficiency of the car.
Despite Pirelli’s softest tire choice, a one-stop strategy is very likely, firstly because tire wear will hardly play a role on the many straights and slow corners and secondly because the highest pit stop delta of the season of 29 seconds is expected.
Isola explains that they also discussed using a different method with the electric blankets for Las Vegas with the teams, but in the end they decided against it: “We discussed that and I don’t think we have to do anything else.”
“We have the electric blankets and 70 degrees is a temperature that allows us to go out with a tire that has a good level of grip. But there are some points that we have to take into account: Will you be able to control the temperature in the tire hold?”
Isola: Why data from cold Barcelona tests are useless
“We informed the teams in advance of the rough specifications so that they could carry out their simulation with the correct values. They came back to us with a simulation and we confirmed the regulation. We will have a fairly high tire pressure. But the The point is that you create standing waves on the straight line.”
“So we have to protect the tire from this high speed and the standing wave. The comparison was good as always, both with the FIA and with the teams and Formula 1. As soon as someone had information, we exchanged it. But everything is new, so it’s difficult. It’s definitely a challenge.”
Historical data can be drawn, among other things, from the pre-season tests in Barcelona in recent years, where it even snowed at times and the track temperature was quite low. But Isola explains that even this comparison is a bit flawed.
“We had some pre-season testing in Barcelona with similar temperatures, but Barcelona is a different track where you put more energy into the tires and the asphalt was quite aggressive back then, as I remember,” he says. “That was before the last resurfacing of the track. So I believe that we will find a completely different situation in Las Vegas than we have seen in the past.”