Perez Warns About 'Hard To Simulate' Las Vegas Grand Prix Conditions

Monday, 13 November 2023 at 23:00

Updated at Tuesday, 14 November 2023 at 09:14

Red Bull Racing F1 driver Sergio Perez warned about the tricky conditions that are hard to simulate for the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The inaugural race of the Las Vegas Grand Prix is shaping up to be a real challenge for the teams and their drivers as everybody approaches unknown territory in tough conditions.

According to some weather forecasts, the night temperatures in the city could get as low as 43° Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius), which is definitely not ideal for racing.

While such conditions might be more beneficial in the battle against overheating engines, it will definitely be harder for drivers to keep their tires warm.

This might present the biggest challenge in the qualifying on Saturday. Having tires in the ideal window is one of the most important aspects when it comes to putting a perfect lap together.

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Drivers might also suffer by having their hands exposed to the cold air blowing inside their cockpit at speeds of above 186 mph (300 km/h).

In relation to the low temperatures, Sergio Perez told the media, as quoted by RacingNews365: "I think it's going be something that will gonna be very present there."

The Mexican driver explained it is very hard to simulate low track temperatures on drivers' simulators, so it will be down to how different drivers adjust once they start racing.

"That will not be something that favours us as a team, but it's something that we got to keep in mind. Those things are very hard to simulate, also knowing which sort of wind direction we're going to have."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also shared concerns in relation to the conditions that will be present at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit this weekend. On the other hand, Wolff said he is expecting a tremendous show.

When asked if he expects support in Las Vegas, Perez joked: "After [Mexico], they're probably not too keen! But there's still a lot out there. No, I do expect a lot of support in Vegas."