Sky F1 pundit makes DRAMATIC Las Vegas Grand Prix prediction

Anna Malyon
Wednesday 15 November 2023 16:57

Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok has admitted that he anticipates multiple red flags during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend due to the challenging temperatures.

The somewhat controversial Las Vegas race presents problems for drivers and teams due to a lack of data, given that it's an entirely new street track.

Yet, this hurdle is made even harder by the low temperatures, possibly setting the stage for the coldest Formula 1 race in history.

Speaking on the Sky F1 Podcast, Chandholk expressed the excitement of racing on a new track, but he highlighted that the "real curve" lies in the temperature, which could present significant challenges.

“I think coming to a new track is always exciting,” Chandholk said. “You know there are always unknowns, we don’t know what the track surface is going to be like, what the kerbs are going to be like. But around here I think there’s an extra real curve for everybody, which is the temperature.

“There are parts where you’re going to get top speeds just shy of Monza, so even faster than we have at Spa. Very, very high speeds. There’s a section which is about 1.9km which is taken at full throttle, going over 200mph, 350kmh and there’s a lot of cold air going onto the brakes.

“When the drivers get to the end of that straight and hit the brakes, you have cold brakes, cold tyres, that’s going to be really challenging. I can see a few red flags coming up in qualifying and in the race.”

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Weather Concerns

Despite the Las Vegas Grand Prix being situated in the Nevada desert, concerns about the safety of the cold track have arisen, given the evening timing of the race.

Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, acknowledged the challenging temperatures when he spoke to the Mercedes website.

“We’ll be running at night,” Wolff said. “Where ambient and track temperatures will likely be in the single digits. Plus, the track layout itself is unusual with many slow corners but long straights.

“It’s going to be a big challenge for us all and we’re looking forward to taking it on. It will also be an immense effort off-track."

Former F1 boss Ross Brawn also issued a crash warning for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, citing concerns related to the weather.

“The one thing we hadn’t considered initially but the tyre company have dealt with is it gets very, very cold at night,” Brawn said to TalkSport.

“So, it can be really quite cold, and of course getting the cars to work in those temperatures can be a challenge.

“The tyre companies have done some work to make sure the tyres can cope with that. We’re definitely facing some new challenges which we’ve never had before, but I think it’ll be spectacular.”

Despite concerns about the low temperatures, the teams are prepared to confront the challenges head-on, recognising the significance of the Las Vegas spectacle for the sport.

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