Izola: Long straights make it even more difficult to warm up the tires

Pirelli will bring the softest three compounds to the new city circuit in Las Vegas: C3, C4 and C5. The head of the Italian company’s racing division, Mario Isola, explained this choice and how tire manufacturers want to solve the problems associated with low temperatures.

Mario Isola: “Formula 1 returns to the United States for the third time this year, after races in Miami and Austin. One of the most exciting Grand Prix of the season awaits us, because every day in Las Vegas is a show and everyone who works in Formula 1 wants to make it unforgettable.

A serious technical challenge awaits us and the team as we will arrive on stage without any real guidelines apart from the work done on the simulator. No one has ever raced the Las Vegas circuit. The circuit’s length, at 6.12 kilometers, is second only to Spa and includes three straights and seventeen corners.

The surface consists mainly of normal street asphalt, especially on the boulevard, while in other places the asphalt is completely paved, which creates an additional uncertainty factor. There will be no support races this weekend and the circuit will be open to normal city traffic for most of the day, which will prevent the surface from becoming covered in a layer of waste rubber and significantly increase grip.

We expect the cars to be tuned for low downforce – the parameters will be the same as in Baku or even Monza. A high top speed is crucial to be competitive on this circuit.

All sessions will take place at night, so air and track temperatures will be atypical for a race weekend and more reminiscent of pre-season testing in Europe. The long straights make it even more difficult to warm up the tires and keep them in the optimal range. The same problem is typical for the circuit in Baku, but in Las Vegas it will be more obvious.

Taking all these factors into account, we have chosen the softest three compounds: C3, C4 and C5, which should guarantee a good grip. Given the low temperature and track configuration, the minimum front tire pressure will be 27 psi and the rear tire pressure will be 24.5 psi.

In cool conditions the difference between cold tire pressure and normal operating pressure becomes considerably smaller, so the cold asphalt temperatures while driving will cause the tire pressure to rise much less than on other circuits. We believe that the operating pressure will still be lower than on other comparable routes, for example in Baku.

So all the elements are present for an exciting race, full of surprises and surprises. As the title of the famous film starring Elvis Presley suggests: “Viva Las Vegas!”