Chilling Twists Await at Las Vegas Grand Prix: A Frosty Formula 1 Encounter
Cold, Rain, and Midnight Racing: Las Vegas GP's Unique Challenge
This weekend’s Formula 1 race in Las Vegas promises to be exceptionally unique, potentially marking the coldest race in the history of the sport. The highly anticipated inaugural event on the Strip is a focal point of the season, yet the challenges lie in the night race’s cold conditions, posing difficulties for teams in maintaining optimal tire warmth.
Another difference with the Las Vegas GP is that the race weekend actually starts on Thursday and goes until Saturday local time. While the F1 sessions in Vegas in the ’80s were held under the scorching sun, the midnight race this time will be held when the temperature is a single digit.
Though it is reported to be the coldest race with temperatures dropping as low as five degrees centigrade, the twist in the tale is the chance of rain on Friday, which could make matters a lot worse.
Las Vegas GP Weather Forecast
Here’s what the weather forecast says about the race weekend.
Thursday- Free Practice 1
The first session of the weekend could be the warmest of them all. Starting at 20:30 local time, FP1 is expected to experience temperatures in the early teens (around 10 degrees Celsius) or the mid-50s Fahrenheit, based on the available forecast.
Friday- Free Practice 2 and 3
FP2 starting at midnight on the 17th would mostly remain the same as FP1, except that it would be slightly colder.
But FP3, which starts at 8:30 PM local time, could be slightly warmer with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius) but, with a more than 50% chance of rain in the day and night.
Thus, the combination of low temperatures at night and a wet, or damp track could pose serious traction challenges.
Saturday- Qualifying and Race
Midnight qualifying might have to be done on a wet track if it has rained considerably the previous evening.
In addition, there is a 63% chance of rain on Saturday afternoon with temperatures predicted to be the lowest toward night at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or, around 4.44 degrees Celsius for the Grand Prix. Expect the track to be damp based on the intensity of afternoon showers.
