Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering why there’s a lot of chatter about the brand-new Formula 1 race in Las Vegas and how there could be tire issues? If so, we’re here to help.
That’s right, we’re only a few days away from the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, a race that promises to look really damn cool as the sport’s drivers zoom around in the dark along the strip.
But there are rumblings about the weather and how it could cause a lot of chaos. Let’s break it all down:
Oh yeah, I heard about that Las Vegas race thing this weekend! What's the issue?
Yup! With all the popularity of Formula 1 in the United States, F1 added a race in Las Vegas that’s coming this weekend, the first time the series has raced there since 1982.
The strip is all set up with the course, but there are some issues being brought up regarding the weather and tires.
It's a desert, right? What's the problem there?
If it was, like, July in Vegas, this wouldn’t be a problem. But it’s November. And on Saturday, forecasts indicate that it’ll be 47 degrees at night.
Oh. Is cold bad?
A quick F1 Tires 101 lesson: They’re supplied by Pirelli, which provides three sets of tires for every race, and they’re deemed Hard, Medium and Soft. Normally, there’s data and experience to figure out what tire compounds will be used. Not in this case.
Let’s combine that with Weather 101: The warmer it is out, the better grip is on tires.
Cold tires means less grip, and the fact that this is a first-time race? That could lead to some challenges.
Isn't there a way for drivers to heat the tires up?
Yep! From The Athletic, there’s also a problem with that:
The best way for drivers to combat low grip levels in the cold is to work the tires harder by pushing them through high-speed corners. The more stress they place through the tires, the hotter they become.
But the Las Vegas layout has few high-speed corners and three long straights, the longest along the Strip. When the drivers are going in a straight line, the tires lose some of the temperature that has been built up.
A mid-race safety car — of which there is a higher chance on a street track due to the proximity of the walls — would also reduce tire temperatures because of the drop in the speed of the cars. Low grip levels also make the cars more susceptible to sliding, leading to tire graining, where the tire’s surface breaks up.
So what are we thinking about what'll happen here?
Take it away, Williams driver Alex Albon via KTNV:
“I think it’s going to be complete chaos,” Albon said. “Obviously, there’s the track but more than anything, it’s the temperature. We haven’t raced in this kind of temperature at all this year.”
Albon explained that tire temperature is key to maintain grip and function.
“The tires, basically, if you drive too slowly, they get too cold. When they get too cold, it’s not like a road car. They literally don’t work. You’ve got to drive quick enough and hard enough to make sure they’re working all the time,” Albon said. “There’s not much you can do. If we can’t get temperature into the tires, you’re going to see a lot of cars crashing.”
Welp.
