Las Vegas promised to be an atypical monitor able to shaking issues up, and the primary day of apply on the U.S. circuit delivered a lot to debate. As anticipated, the low grip ranges and really low temperatures—reaching simply 13°C on the asphalt throughout FP2—considerably impacted each pure lap efficiency and tire administration over longer runs.
Tires will undoubtedly be the first focus all through the weekend. Greater than the vehicles’ technical traits, the important thing issue seems to be how groups exploit the tires and the way a lot grip they’ll generate.
Alongside monitor evolution, groups pursued various applications. Purple Bull and Ferrari adjusted their setups to progressively scale back drag from FP1 to FP2, aligning with benchmarks from rivals. In the meantime, McLaren diversified throughout the workforce: Lando Norris opted for a extra loaded entrance wing, whereas Oscar Piastri selected a much less loaded configuration with a trimmed higher flap for Las Vegas.
Mercedes shines on Friday, McLaren within the center
Mercedes usually excels on Fridays however struggles to keep up the sting because the weekend progresses, with rivals bettering whereas the W15 stagnates. George Russell acknowledges this state of affairs may repeat tomorrow, notably attributable to gas hundreds and engine mappings, as Mercedes tends to push tougher on Fridays. Nonetheless, each Russell and Lewis Hamilton expressed confidence.
Their W15 felt aggressive and carried out properly beneath the day’s circumstances, particularly in gradual sections such because the 7/8/9 sequence and the ultimate chicane, the place it was very sharp on nook entry. This power in gradual corners has been a season-long pattern, because the W15 struggles extra in flowing sequences.
The true distinction lies in tire administration. All through the season, the Brackley automotive has fared higher in cooler circumstances, dropping grip extra rapidly in hotter climates. In Las Vegas, the drivers discovered the automotive tough to deal with attributable to low grip, however it was total much less nervous than different vehicles—an element that has usually penalized Russell and Hamilton this season.
Nevertheless, Mercedes lacks prime velocity, falling behind different prime groups besides Purple Bull, which loses six-tenths because of the absence of a real low-downforce bundle. On the Strip, Mercedes trails McLaren by about 3–4 km/h, corresponding to Ferrari when neither Carlos Sainz nor Charles Leclerc advantages from slipstreams. The hole grows to 9 km/h earlier than the braking zone of Flip 4 in comparison with the McLaren MCL38.
McLaren’s automotive, as confirmed by its drivers, is aggressive in qualifying runs, excelling at bringing the tires into the precise window and capitalizing on prime speeds on straights. Nevertheless, McLaren struggled in particular corners, resembling Flip 1 and the 7/8/9 sequence, the place Norris lacked the aggression seen from the Mercedes drivers. The workforce is extra involved about graining throughout lengthy runs—an issue all groups confronted attributable to low temperatures—however Norris was notably shocked by the automotive’s tempo with increased gas hundreds.
Oscar Piastri’s future was extra convincing, although McLaren began their stint aggressively, not like rivals who started with increased lap occasions to protect the tires. This method will seemingly be reviewed post-FP2 to deal with graining points beforehand seen at tracks like Monza.
Ferrari works on smooth tire efficiency
Ferrari continues to grapple with tire temperatures, a recurring problem this season. The Las Vegas structure fits the SF-24 with its lengthy straights and sharp corners that don’t overly stress the entrance tires. Nevertheless, as anticipated, bringing the tires into the precise window has been tough.
This difficulty has plagued Ferrari in different races, notably when attempting to maximise smooth tires for qualifying. Ferrari struggled extra on the smooth compound than on the medium, prompting the workforce to check totally different methods, resembling including an additional lap after the outlap to heat the tires additional—contrasting with McLaren and Mercedes.
The circuit’s low aerodynamic load in corners complicates extracting clear laps. Leclerc needed to abort a number of laps, contemplating a brand new method for utilizing smooth tires, whereas Sainz struggled to string collectively an ideal lap, dropping time in Turns 1, 8, and 12 whereas engaged on brake launch to enhance cornering velocity.
Flip 1 stays a vital focus for Ferrari, because it challenges the SF-24’s means to keep up rotation mid-corner with out dropping rear traction on exit. Sainz tried excessive entry speeds however couldn’t maintain the tempo by subsequent sections, dropping tenths to Mercedes and McLaren.
General, the SF-24 performs properly on straights, aided by a lower-downforce wing setup in FP2 (although Sainz’s Strip reference benefited from a powerful slipstream). Nevertheless, Ferrari should enhance grip to seek out rhythm in corners and braking zones, notably with the smooth tires. Whereas the drivers really feel extra optimistic about race tempo—regardless of graining and degradation points shared with rivals—single-lap efficiency stays a better limitation.
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