[Revvatron]

Oh Boy Ferrari cannot catch a break. Of all the folks it had to be a Ferrari to catch that cover although it shouldn't have happen in first place. This circuit was suppose to be their best bet in closing the gap to Merc but with the penalty it dents the hopes.

[ex-innova-guy]

Is this the race where Leclerc finally converts the Pole into Win? I really hope he starts well off the grid or Max would be ready to pounce on the 1st corner.

Qualifying Results

Source

- Sainz has a 10 place grid penalty so will be starting 12th.
- 2 Williams qualifying in Top 10 after long!
- 8/10 Teams are present in Top 10. This has significantly jumbled the pack and would be interesting to see how these cars perform tomorrow.

[anand_roy]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Is this the race where Leclerc finally converts the Pole into Win? I really hope he starts well off the grid or Max would be ready to pounce on the 1st corner.

While Ferrari's one lap pace has been quite good this season, however, Red Bull has a much better pace during the actual race. With 2 DRS zones (and the Vegas strip one being quite long), it will be difficult for Leclerc to defend against Max for long.

However, what may be interesting is that there could be as many as 4 pit stops done by some teams (DC was saying this during commentary) Seems tyre degradation is quite high on this high speed track.

[volkman10]

The FIA just confirmed that there will be no ‘cool down room’ at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The top 3 drivers will instantly be escorted to the podium after being interviewed.

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by anand_roy

While Ferrari's one lap pace has been quite good this season, however, Red Bull has a much better pace during the actual race. With 2 DRS zones (and the Vegas strip one being quite long), it will be difficult for Leclerc to defend against Max for long.

I am very well aware of that but there is no harm in having hope right?

However, what may be interesting is that there could be as many as 4 pit stops done by some teams (DC was saying this during commentary) Seems tyre degradation is quite high on this high speed track.

Warming up the tyres is going to be an issue since the track temperature is significantly lower. In case of Safety Car, drivers on various compounds would struggle to get the tyres in the operating window. Also, this being the penultimate race I do expect some DNFs.

[Scarlet_Rider]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Max Verstappen derides Las Vegas GP opening ceremony

Originally Posted by Sudeep_Kimster

Too much bling till now.

Agree. The opening ceremony was a bit too much. If they wanted music, then then should have arranged a performance by Brian Tyler who composed the Formula 1 Theme which would have matched the occasion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AYy-BcjRXg

It's good to see Max speaking his mind about the opening ceremony and about the track.

Originally Posted by ferrarirules

They could have made an exception to the component rule given the circumstances.

The penalty on Carlos is harsh. It was neither his nor Ferrari's fault. The FIA should have some exceptions for such instances.

On a lighter note, impressionist Conor Moore is back with his video themed around the venue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyc4uej472M

[ex-innova-guy]

- What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!!! (Checo to himself)

- What a brilliant drive by Leclerc. He would have challenged for the win if he was pitted under the 2nd Safety Car. He lost P2 when he outbraked himself but boy did made up for it!

- Checo had a good race but was caught sleeping twice by Leclerc in the same corner. Talk about luck, he got beaten twice on the last lap in back-to-back races.

- Although Max played the team game and gave slipstream to Checo in the last lap, RB should have told him to give DRS to Checo.

- A good recovery drive by Sainz and Stroll.

Race Result

Source

[AtheK]

Pretty good race of the season, I did not expected it to be this much fun. Good drive by all top drivers, some of the overtakes were sensational, good to see Ferrari come through. RB got challenged and hopefully this trend continues into next season.

[chandrda]

It was a good race, wasn't expecting much after the practicing sessions.

A lot of overtaking and some of the over taking was bold and entertaining. This is how formula 1 overtaking should be.

Max has been getting away with pushing the opponents car off the racing track while over taking. Clearly he was not significantly ahead and then clearly ran Leclerc off the track. 5 seconds penalty is a joke. A pitlane drive through is more appropriate, since the advantage he gained by leading the race is immense.

[anand_roy]

Good race with lots of fun and overtaking.

The rest of the pack seems to be catching up with the RB's (especially Max) - so 2024 will have good competition - which will be better for the sport.

Checo secured the 2nd place in the championship - through the pass made by Leclerc was out of the world. Checo has lost a lot of his mojo. I still remember the defending he did against Lewis in the 2021 infamous Abu Dhabi GP.

Max continues with his dominating form. Even with the penalty, he still won.

F1 and their rules of the 1800's continue. Though the track was responsible for Sainz's need for a battery replacement, however, he still received a 10 place grid penalty. How much more ridiculous can things get. (And, if you go by some portals, it seems Toto was in flavor of the penalty - not sure how true that is)

[fiat_tarun]

Great race and what a move by Charles to secure 2nd place.

I was quite surprised at how Max's car seemed to have zero effect of his wing breaking off in spite of such a high speed circuit !

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by anand_roy

the track was responsible for Sainz's need for a battery replacement, however, he still received a 10 place grid penalty. How much more ridiculous can things get. (And, if you go by some portals, it seems Toto was in flavor of the penalty - not sure how true that is)

Apparently Mercedes vetoed against dropping the penalty.

He is now easily the most hated personality in F1.

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

I was quite surprised at how Max's car seemed to have zero effect of his wing breaking off in spite of such a high speed circuit !

Most of the damage was to his front wing end plate which didn’t affect him much.

Also, if you have watched the 2021 Qatar GP you might know the drama that ensued in the GP and how Hamilton went on to win the GP with a broken front wing. Similarly some races back Charles had no issues in the Canadian GP when the front wing was damaged.

[volkman10]

Las Vegas GP attendees sue F1 over practice session woes.

After only getting 8 minutes of action in the first practice session, ticket-holders were forced to leave ahead of a delayed second practice.

following a 2.5-hour delay, the second practice session finally began at 2:30 AM local time, but there were no fans in the grandstands. Instead, they had all been told to leave, as the organizers weren’t able to keep their security, transportation, and hospitality staff on call beyond a certain time. According to one Vegas GP attendee on Reddit, police were threatening some who refused to leave with potential trespassing charges.

This resulted in a class-action lawsuit being filed against F1. More specifically, Dimopoulos Law Firm and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting filed the suit against Liberty Media Corporation, the Formula One Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix, and TAB Contractors Inc on behalf of the 35,000 people who held tickets for Thursday’s practice sessions.

As reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the plaintiffs are seeking reimbursement on their travel, dining, and lodging expenses in addition to the ticket costs themselves.

Link

[Hatari]

Its good to see a race return after 40 years. What a weekend!..
Hype. Sphere. Action. Drama. Outrage. Fatigue. and finally Vindication?

Sports globally are going through a churn, with F1 this has had a minimal impact.
(Think T20 vs ODI/Test matches)
Im all for a few new venues with the atmosphere/festivities catering to a younger crowd, as long as the historic races of Monza, Spa, Silverstone, Suzuka etc are retained.

These new venues raise the bar on what can be done over a weekend.
Kudos to Vegas city management for the incredible support given to F1.

Ultimately what a great race, notwithstanding the oil spill ruining the start and T1 for many.