The final rush starts in Las Vegas

One of the most closely contested seasons since the Formula 1 hybrid era began in 2014, is coming to a close. The final triple-header of a championship, which so far has seen seven different winners from four different teams, begins with the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Just 49 points cover the top four teams in the Constructors’ standings, with the Maranello team second, 36 points behind McLaren, with 147 still up for grabs.

The circuit. The Las Vegas venue made its debut last year, 42 years on from Formula 1’s previous appearance in Nevada at the somewhat lacklustre track laid out in the Caesars Palace car park. The Las Vegas Strip track could not be more different, being very fast and spectacular. In fact, speed is its standout characteristic, with average speeds of around 240 km/h, coupled with some more technical sections. The lap starts with a short acceleration to turn 1, a narrow left hand hairpin which can offer a vital overtaking opportunity, followed by a narrow and twisty section. After that the cars fly down one of the two very long straights before braking hard for turn 5, followed by the slow chicane at turn 7, which leads to another left handed hairpin, after which it’s all about bravery and speed. The cars charge almost flat out through the turn 10 kink and then comes a tight left hand turn 12, which leads onto the 1.9 kilometre run down the “The Strip.” Pedal to the metal, the cars hit speeds of over 350 km/h before stamping on the brakes to tackle the esses through turns 14, 15 and 16 and then the final slightly curved run to the finish line. It takes just over a minute and a half to complete the 6.201 kilometres. 

Weather and strategy. At this time of year, the Mojave desert is a cold place to be, especially at night. With an average ambient temperature of 15°C, conditions will be very similar to those of winter testing and therefore, tyres and brakes could struggle to reach the right operating temperatures, which might produce some unexpected scenarios in qualifying and the race. The cold track surface subjects the tyres to considerable stress and that has a significant influence on race strategy. In 2023, most teams went for a one-stop, starting on the Medium compound tyres and switching to the Hards at around the halfway mark. With similar conditions this year, one can expect more of the same. The hard braking points and the many overtaking opportunities dotted around the track mean that the unexpected should always be expected and with it, an appearance from the Safety Car. Drivers and strategists will have to be on their mettle to choose the best moment for pit stops.

Programme. Of the three Grands Prix held in the United States, Las Vegas is the only night race, running to a very unusual timetable. Track action gets underway on Thursday with the first free practice session at 18.30 local (Friday 03.30 CET) followed by the second hour at 22.00 (07.00 CET). The third free practice session starts on Friday at 18.30 (Saturday, 03.30 CET) followed by qualifying at 22.00 (07.00 CET), the same start time as the 50 lap, 309.958 km race on Saturday (Sunday at 07.00 CET).

Fred Vasseur
Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP

It’s time for the final triple-header showdown to decide the outcome of this very busy season. The last three Grands Prix all involve racing at night in desert locations: we start in Las Vegas, at a very fast street circuit with few corners, several of them being 90 degree turns. However, there are still plenty of interesting variables, starting with the temperature, that drops considerably at night. It means that getting the tyres into the right operating window for qualifying and the race will be particularly important. It’s only the second time we race at this venue and we can expect a great show, even better than last season’s, which already shone the spotlight brightly on Formula 1. For our part, we intend to be fighting at the front, just as we were last year: we know we have the potential to come away with a strong result as long as we ensure we are on top of our game down to the smallest detail. We have prepared well back at the factory and Charles, Carlos and the whole team have been able to enjoy a very short break, ready to go again, more determined than ever. We are confident and we know what we have to do to keep the Constructors’ title fight alive.

FERRARI STATS

GP contested: 1095

Seasons in F1: 75

Debut: Monaco 1950 (A. Ascari 2nd; R. Sommer 4th; L. Villoresi ret.)

Wins: 248 (22.65%)

Pole positions: 253 (23.10%)

Fastest laps: 263 (24.02%)

Podiums: 825 (25.11%)

FERRARI STATS GRANDS PRIX HELD IN THE UNITED STATES

GP contested: 65

Debut: 1952 Indianapolis 500 Miles (A. Ascari ret.)

Wins: 14 (21.54%)

Pole positions: 18 (27.69%)

Fastest laps: 16 (24.61%)

Podiums: 46 (23.59%)

Scuderia Ferrari and Puma launch the Desert Sun Collection in Las Vegas

To celebrate the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari HP and its premium partner Puma is pleased to present the exclusive limited edition Desert Sun Collection, a perfect fusion of motorsport and style inspired by the Las Vegas vibe and the wild beauty of its Mojave desert setting.

The Desert Sun Collection features casual clothing and accessories and the Scuderia Ferrari HP replica range with its faithful reproduction of the team kit worn by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the paddock. The replica line for Las Vegas 2024 includes a t-shirt, a hoodie, the iconic cap and the Speedcat PRO shoes. Thanks to the slow wash and faded effect, the garments take on a look of their own, as if shaped by the natural elements of the desert, while the distressed details add a lived-in and cool look. For what is bound to be an unforgettable weekend, as the Las Vegas Strip celebrates its second Formula 1 Grand Prix, Charles’ and Carlos’ race suits will follow the same theme.

Meanwhile, the Desert Sun Lifestyle Collection includes items of apparel, footwear and headwear, with hoodies, t-shirts and shorts available in red, white and black. Fans of Charles and Carlos will be drawn to crewneck sweaters featuring their 16 and 55 race numbers. The collection also features four exclusive Las Vegas graphic tees.

On the footwear front, the Lifestyle collection presents the Ferrari Suede XL in red and black, as well as the Ferrari GC Special. When it comes to headwear there are two hats in black and white. All items of clothing and accessories are available at Puma and Ferrari stores.

THREE QUESTIONS TO... Erik Van Der Veen

Senior Engineer, Driving simulator

1. Can you tell us about the challenges that the Las Vegas track presents, both from a layout perspective (long straights, low downforce, brakes) and in terms of its location?

Las Vegas is one of those tracks that may seem easy just looking at the layout while actually it is very difficult for a variety of reasons. There are only five corner sequences but all of them are low speed with big braking zones, and on top of that some of the corners are blind. The big braking zones need to be timed to perfection even when going at speeds of over 340km/h which requires a car with high downforce to give the confidence to slow the car down, and then go through and out of these corners as fast as possible. On the other hand, as soon as you go out of these corners there are long straights which call for low drag and therefore a low downforce setup. Then, once again at the end of these straights there are these big braking zones but at this point the brakes and tyres have cooled down after not using them for the entire straight – adding another level of difficulty for the drivers to manage. All of this in a city circuit where the walls are very close by leaving no margin for errors. Las Vegas is in a desert and the event takes place at night. This means temperatures drop very quickly, sometimes even below 10 degrees Celsius, which makes it difficult to get the tyres in the right window for a single push lap, and equally difficult to keep them in the window for long runs. This is made even more difficult given the long straights which allow the tyres to cool down rapidly, creating big challenges for the drivers and teams, not seen at any other circuit.

2. Last year, you had very little data to run in the simulator, yet it was still the only tool available to help the drivers and the team prepare for this new circuit. Now you have actual track data, what role does this tool play in your approach to this race?

If we compare what we knew last year to what we know this year the picture really has changed completely. Where last year the track model used at the simulator was based on drawings, this year we have a full representation of the track, the asphalt its surroundings. Furthermore, considering we also have all the data from last year’s event we have a much more accurate prediction of what we expect to happen at the Las Vegas GP this year. This means the engineers and development drivers but also Carlos and Charles themselves have a much better opportunity to prepare the weekend, to get familiar with the track and the setup of the car. As with every race, Charles and Carlos have been in the simulator beforehand, working on optimising their driving as well as car set-up to make sure we have the best possible starting point, as well as being prepared in case conditions are different from what we expect. This is precisely when the simulator is an extremely powerful tool and the preparation sessions are extremely valuable to allow the drivers to optimise their driving style for a specific track.

3. On a track with so many tight corners, what work do you do with the third driver in the simulator during the day with the two free practice sessions?

The approach is no different to that at any other event, even if the track is one of a kind. The development driver in the simulator will have been briefed already during the preparation for the weekend on how important it is to optimise each corner, given that there are so few corner sequences where drivers can make a difference. It is critical for the drivers at the track to have a car which allows them to have the confidence to push the car to the limit without going over it, since the corners are tight, and blind. So the simulator driver will spend a lot of his focus on the balance and driving style through these corners, sometimes even going over the limit and hitting the walls - fortunately at the simulator the damage is not real (except perhaps for the kickback the simulator driver will feel from the chassis to let him know he has hit something!). During a typical session where we support the trackside team we use laps done during the Free Practice sessions and reproduce the exact same conditions, car set-up and driving at the simulator. This allows us to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the car and we can try to improve these in order to give feedback to the trackside team who may then adjust the car accordingly. We also use these sessions to explore what to expect in case the weather changes during the weekend – for example temperatures, wind direction and intensity may be different day by day or they can even change during a single session. By reproducing these weather conditions in the simulator we can tell the drivers what to expect to allow them to extract the maximum out of the car even before they go out on track.

Profile
Erik van der Veen
Nationality: Dutch
Born on: 03/10/1987
In: Breda (Netherlands)

FACTS AND FIGURES, LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX

150. The approximate number of shows that take place in Las Vegas every day. They include performances from artists of the calibre of Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Adele, who all have homes in the city. In the past, artists such as Celine Dion, Tom Jones and Elton Jones have played residencies in Las Vegas, performing up to 50 concerts a year in the Nevada city.

168. The height in metres of the High Roller wheel above the Strip, which opened on 31 March 2014. At the time, it was the tallest wheel in the world, but today that honour goes to the 250 metre high Ain Dubai, built in the eponymous emirate in 2021.

200. The number of neon signs in the Neon Boneyard, also known as the Museum of Neon, one of the strangest attractions in Las Vegas. It was established in 1996, just north of the Strip and covers 10,000 square metres. The Neon Boneyard is home to some of the most famous neon signs from the city which tell the story of the genre from the mid-20th century to the present day. Many of the signs come from old casinos, hotels and businesses that have closed their doors or changed name. The museum not only collects the signs, but also restores them to their former glory.

4 500. The percentage increase in the population of Las Vegas over the past sixty years or so. The city was founded in 1905 and by 1960, it had a population of just 50,000, while today it has grown to 2.3 million.

27 200. The kilos of shellfish eaten every day in Las Vegas. It is the city’s favourite food by a long way and the quantity is greater than that consumed in the whole of the rest of the United States.