Race planners had no idea it would be cold in Las Vegas: Ex-F1 director
Ross Brawn says planners of the inaugural F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix failed to take into account how cold it can be at night in Las Vegas this time of year. Brown knew this because he was one of those planners.
Brawn, who was F1 managing director from 2017 to 2022, told talkSPORT website: "One thing that we didn't initially expect but that the tire manufacturers have addressed is that it can get very, very cold at night. "So, it could get really cold. It's very cold, and certainly getting a car to run in those temperatures can be a challenge."
Automotive news and review site Jalopnik.com even claims it spoke to a "few people" associated with the series last month who were concerned about the extreme heat in Las Vegas.
The inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix was scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 18 at 10pm. PST. This was done partly to attract a larger European audience to the live show and partly to capitalize on the excitement of the night in Las Vegas.
Cold Truth
However, nighttime temperatures in Las Vegas are known to drop below freezing in the fall. Although the current weather forecast for the game is 52 degrees Fahrenheit, a few degrees below that (likely caused by unexpected rain before the game, for example) could spell trouble.
Although the Vegas Motor Speedway has 14 turns, most of them consist of 3 main straights, which are not exactly known for properly warming up your tires. Cold tires have less grip than hot tires.
Formula 1 cars are not designed for optimal race speed in cool weather,” according to Jalopnik.com. “Tires, brakes and even powertrains take longer to reach ideal Operation window. ” tracks, which means we could see a lot of slips, slides and jams.
"It's all because no one seems to understand how desert climates work in late fall."
Brown, however, did not express as many concerns. He noted that at some point after he left, the series became more weather-aware, telling talkSport: "The tire manufacturers have done a lot to make sure the tires can cope with the weather."
"We're definitely facing some new challenges that we've never faced before," Brown said. "But I think it's going to be pretty spectacular."
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Source: www.casino.org
