2024 F1 Las Vegas GP: Top 5 bold predictions
The 2024 F1 Las Vegas GP is the beginning of the end of the season. We're 21 races down with only three left and they will be in the form of a triple header. It's been a long season and in all fairness, it has had its ups and downs, which have been very interesting, to say the least. With that being said, neither of the two titles is decided.
Both of them are still up for grabs even though Max Verstappen more or less sealed the drivers championship with his iconic performance in the F1 Brazilian GP. The F1 Las Vegas GP is held at a somewhat strange time as it is very late at night and the temperatures do take a dip into single digits. With that being said, what can we expect from the 2024 F1 Las Vegas GP this weekend? Let's find out in our bold predictions.
#5. The race is expected to be action-packed
Low temperatures, low grip surfaces, and long straights. That's a kind of track that tends to lend itself to unpredictability and on-track action. That's what one can expect from the 2024 F1 Las Vegas GP.
The inaugural race was epic in so many ways, and it had a lot of things going its way when it came to the battle for the win and the action in general. Don't be surprised if we see a repeat of that this time around as well.
#4. We would see a few surprises in the top 10
As we mentioned earlier about the conditions at play here, the lack of grip, the low temperatures, and most importantly, the long straights, which mean it takes a lot of time to get these tires up to temperature. The teams could have a curve ball thrown their way.
Last season, we saw Esteban Ocon of the Alpine clinch P4 in the F1 Las Vegas GP and do it on merit. We could see something similar this time around as well.
#3. Mercedes returns as a podium contender
This prediction might just be the boldest of all because Mercedes has taken a step back when it comes to on-track performance in the second half of this season. The car has not been in great shape and there's not much success for the team to talk about in general. With that being said, the conditions for the F1 Las Vegas GP are perfect for the car.
It has worked like a charm in colder conditions and that's what we get this weekend. The ability to light up the tires fast enough is going to help Mercedes be a podium contender.
#2. Ferrari is the wildcard
Ferrari has been one team that was almost pegged to dominate at the F1 Las Vegas GP. The track layout is just tailor-made for the car in general, but there's one area where the car struggles and that could prove to be the limiting factor this weekend. The ability to fire up the tires and have a similar level of performance in colder conditions has been a struggle for the team throughout the season.
Going into the weekend, the Italian team is such a wildcard that if it gets everything right, we could see Charles Leclerc win the F1 Las Vegas GP. But if it doesn't, we could see Red Bull usurp the Italian squad as the second-fastest car this weekend.
#1. Lando Norris wins the F1 Las Vegas GP
Well, this is a slight change from the pick we made early in the week in our preview where we picked Charles Leclerc to win the F1 Las Vegas GP. Well, this change is primarily for one reason alone.
The temperatures are just too low at the time the cars hit the track and when that happens, Ferrari has tended to struggle this season. It won't be a surprise if we get to Las Vegas and Ferrari has issues with firing up its tires, leading to a compromised performance.
If that is the case, we could see McLaren take advantage of it. When it comes to the drivers, we're backing Lando Norris to make the most of that advantage and win.