The third version of the Las Vegas Grand Prix is about to as soon as once more be the coldest race of the Method 1 season, with an evening race in November that includes temperatures within the low 50s. That gives a singular problem for the entire groups, so who higher to speak us via the idiosyncrasies than the trackside engineering director of the crew that scored a one-two right here final yr: Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin.
“Las Vegas is troublesome. It is a observe the place you deliver the low-downforce Monza package deal and also you run kind of that. And truly, we’re at fairly excessive altitude right here [2,000 feet -Ed.], so that you lose much more downforce by advantage of the truth that you’ve got obtained skinny air.
“It’s extremely troublesome for the drivers to manage the automotive with the low downforce. However with the size of the straights, there is no choice to run a giant wing since you’d be dropping a lot within the straight line. You’d by no means ever make it again.
“It is a difficult avenue observe. It’s extremely, very quick. The partitions are very near you. You have to use all of the circuit that is accessible. Errors get punished. However the drivers simply do the same old factor of build up because the grip’s enhancing.
“Past simply the downforce degree right here, for those who’ve obtained tire temperature, you’ve got obtained grip. That is the important thing factor. It is not like a traditional circuit the place you actually really feel the variations within the wing degree. The overriding factor right here is are you able to get the tires within the window? And in case you have and another person hasn’t, you possibly can find yourself being a second faster.
Low-speed corners require working the automotive low to match. Sam Bagnall/Getty Photos
“We have got some selections accessible to us on wing ranges. Our method has been to not create pointless variations to 2024, in order that’s outlined the place we’ll begin with the automotive.
“It is advisable to consider that the observe might be low grip to start out, so it is advisable to reposition the automotive to get extra stability in it in comparison with the place you’ll count on to be in come qualifying. And there is numerous choices accessible.
“However as soon as we see what issues we’re coping with – are we getting the tires scorching sufficient? Are they too scorching? Is it an oversteer steadiness, an understeer steadiness? Are we graining the tires? As soon as we all know the solutions to these, then we are able to take a look at the precise options to these issues.
“You have to run the automotive low due to the low-speed corners. Subsequently, on the apex, you need the automotive to be as near the bottom as attainable. So then on the straights, you will be hitting into the highway. However for a avenue circuit, it is really fairly easy. There are some notable bumps however general, it’s fairly easy and you may get the automotive fairly low.
Whereas a avenue circuit, the floor is comparatively easy, though there are nonetheless loads of tire-wearing parts in play. Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Photos
“You’ve got obtained some actually massive stops like Flip 14 – it is concerning the greatest hit on the brakes you’ve got obtained on the whole calendar. However actually, with this lap, an important factor is how you bought the temperature opening the lap.
“It is fairly a busy opening sequence. And if you have not obtained the grip there, you are both locking fronts or sliding. So the primary factor is, are you able to construct that temperature within the out lap? And it is a type of circuits the place if the lap begins nicely, it usually finishes nicely, as a result of in a traditional qualifying lap, you are really attempting to maintain the tires cool. If the motive force has a snap, that places in temperature, which is able to then punish him with much less grip. That is really one of many only a few circuits [where] you needn’t fear about that. So the drivers can let the automotive slide round a bit – it does not value them in the best way that it might at nearly each different circuit.
“You have to take a look at the tire temperature in numerous methods. You’ve got obtained the majority, which it is advisable to construct that temperature to get the rubber gentle, so it is going to generate grip. And that is one of many belongings you’re doing on the out lap.
“However then way more transient than that’s what the floor is doing. And as quickly as you hit the brakes, you begin constructing floor temperature since you’ve obtained sliding. As you go into the apex, as you get on the ability, increasingly of that floor temperature is constructed. And that is the factor that basically drops on the straights.
“So one of many challenges right here is definitely when the drivers hit the brakes, the tires are too chilly to generate good grip. And that preliminary hit, you possibly can find yourself with, the grip’s a bit low, it is simpler to lock the fronts; they will not get that good type of feeling of the rear of the automotive’s planted.
“However you have to belief that as you go into the braking section, that temperature will come up and the tire will begin to grip. That is one of many issues they’re simply type of getting used to in free observe is how that grip comes.
“You see a distinct efficiency order right here very often. It’s troublesome to liken it to any others as a result of the one time we expertise these temperatures of winter testing in Barcelona, and that is a really totally different circuit as nicely.
“In the event you took the ambient temperature and the observe temperature out of the equation, then it would not be so totally different to Baku or maybe Montreal. Nonetheless, that places the tires in a area the place we don’t ever race on every other observe on the calendar.
“That’s the factor that makes it so uncommon, aside from the actual fact it is fairly a peculiar place. Once you noticed the place they have been attempting to host a race, you thought it was nearly inconceivable to construct a circuit right here that made sense. However really it is a enjoyable observe – it gives up good racing and hopefully it will do the identical on Saturday evening.”
AT A GLANCE:
Race distance: 50 laps/192.6 miles
2024 pole time: 1m32.312s (George Russell, Mercedes)
2024 winner: George Russell, Mercedes
Earlier than every Grand Prix, Pirelli offers the groups with race technique eventualities which are in principle the quickest, primarily based on the actual tire compounds accessible that weekend. That is outlined by in depth calculations bearing in mind quite a few tire-related elements.
This method requires a distinct methodology to that utilized by the groups, even when the aims are related. All the info is processed by proprietary software program designed to determine the optimum methods for one automotive on observe, with the purpose of finishing the race within the shortest time attainable.
The primary data to be analysed issues the efficiency distinction between the compounds, as recognized in pre-event evaluation carried out by the modelling and simulation group. Then, added to that is historic knowledge referring to tire degradation from earlier years on the identical observe, together with knowledge from the identical compounds already used at earlier races through the present season.
A key parameter within the calculations is efficiency life, which is the utmost variety of laps a tire can cowl earlier than its efficiency drops to a degree the place it’s preferable to interchange it. These parts, together with different elements, make it attainable to estimate lap instances for every compound and, by additionally bearing in mind variations in gasoline hundreds, to determine the best home windows for tire adjustments.
A key issue, which the groups contemplate of nice significance when deciding on a one- or two-stop technique, is the time taken for the automotive to return down the pit lane, perform the tire change and rejoin the observe, which varies from circuit to circuit. Analyses are up to date all through the race weekend, to incorporate knowledge from observe periods and what the Pirelli engineers have discovered from the product.
The groups, having extra knowledge referring to their very own automobiles, usually use what’s often called the Monte Carlo technique. This additionally takes under consideration random variables similar to site visitors, the probability of the security automotive being deployed and the way simple it’s to overhaul at every observe, particularly within the DRS zones.
HEINEKEN LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX WEEKEND SCHEDULE (all instances ET):
Thursday, November 20
7:25pm – 8:30pm – Free Apply 1, ESPNEWS
10:55pm – 12:00am – Free Apply 2, ESPN2
Friday, November 21
7:25pm – 8:30pm – Free Apply 3, ESPNEWS
10:55pm – 12:00am – Qualifying, ESPN2
Saturday, November 22
10:55pm – 1:00am – Las Vegas Grand Prix (50 laps or 120 minutes), ESPN
