quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:
Rude race start time and perhaps record low temps for an F1 race. Lots of concern about tire temps as a result. Quali problematic with maybe two laps needed to get temps up and a caution filled race likely. Set your VCR's.

F1 cares so much about America that they have the race set at a convenient time for European watchers, not for Americans.

If you want to show off Vegas, it has to be a night. Otherwise, what's the point?

quote:

Originally posted by DanH:
If you want to show off Vegas, it has to be a night. Otherwise, what's the point?

This is the weirdest timetable ever.

Times Vegas local time
FP1: 8:30PM 11/16
FP2: Midnight 11/17
FP3: 8:30PM 11/17
Quali: Midnight 11/18
Race: 10PM 11/18

Midnight for FP2 & Quali

To an extent, I get the Saturday start time, even if it's to appease the Euro fanbase.

quote:

It looks a bit like Singapore, some like Miami, not terribly great IMHO at one glance.

That long straight down The Strip should be very interesting because of how their tires will lose temperature before the turn

Given Williams' DRS-everywhere, they should be mighty in the long straight, then all come apart when they put the anchors out to turn.

Pit exit looks like an accident waiting to happen.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Safety Car lap



Saw the lap from Safety Car at link above.

It looks a bit like Singapore, some like Miami, not terribly great IMHO at one glance. In particular some of the efforts to extend/contour the shape of the corners with a bollard stuck out in the middle of a lot of roadway looks clunky at best. I predict those get blasted over the fence in each session with folks clipping the artificial apex.

From the official F1 Channel on YT



Looks pretty slippy from that footage.
Temps are expected in the 40-50 range, some chance of rain for FP1/2

Have read some crazy predictions, like <10 finishers if they can't keep the tires fired up.

Ouch, hard hit from Sainz on the Strip, in FP1. Canceled the rest of the session.

Looked a lot like Russell in Baku a few years ago.

On to FP2.

FP2 didn't record...Just commentary chatter & a team boss 'conference'

Carlos has to suffer a penalty due to the loose drain. It's not his fault the racing surface is flawed. I'm not a Ferrari fan either.
Here's an article:
https://www.independent.co.uk/...-vegas-b2448987.html

"Ferrari boss rages at F1 after ‘unacceptable’ loose drain cover wrecks Carlos Sainz’s car
Sainz’s car sustained considerable damage after driving over a loose drain cover at over 200mph on the Vegas strip

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was scathing of Formula 1 after Carlos Sainz’s car was substantially damaged mere minutes into practice at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

F1’s newest race started in farcical fashion on Thursday night after first practice was stopped following just eight minutes due to a loose drain cover on the Vegas strip section of the circuit.

Sainz’s Ferrari car drove over the manhole at more than 200mph, causing damage to the floor. The Spaniard stopped his car on the side of the track.


To add salt to the wounds, the damage sustained resulted in Sainz taking an extra power unit, thereby exceeding his season’s allocation. He will receive a penalty, yet to be determined, for the race on Saturday night.

Vasseur labelled the incident “unacceptable” in the team principals’ press conference afterwards.
“What he [Carlos] said was ‘I hit something on track.’ He didn’t know exactly what it was,” said Vasseur.

“The situation is that we’ve changed the monocoque, the engine, the battery - I think it’s just unacceptable.

“We’ve f***ed up the session for Carlos.

“We have to change the chassis of the car. I think it’s just unacceptable from F1 today.”"

{some engineer somewhere in Vegas}
Ohhhhhh...... so THAT much downforce and wake!

What a cluster. That could have been much worse. I don't care that it's happened before in Baku; that's a reason for it not to, not a reason to say "meh, it happens."

And apparently, since they fucked this up, they're sending everyone who bought tickets home before FP 2. This is going great!

One of the local articles had an interview with a fan.

He said how excited he was to be able to see an F1 race when it was announced.
Later, he realized at the price of tickets, he could fly to Hungary and watch one for less.

And yes, the Sainz penalties for component replacements are ridiculous and show the inflexibility to deal with issues like this need to be addressed.

Did that above fan area closure affect people attending FP2?
I'd be royally pissed if I spent that much $$ & couldn't get in...

The Spa rainout last year would've sucked, but tickets there are a drop in the bucket compared to the LVGP, at least what I was seeing.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P250UA5,

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Did that above fan area closure affect people attending FP2?
I'd be royally pissed if I spent that much $$ & couldn't get in...

The Spa rainout last year would've sucked, but tickets there are a drop in the bucket compared to the LVGP, at least what I was seeing.

Was watching an F1 channel on YT. Fans were 'sent home' around 1:30AM & track access closed. FP2 was run with empty stands I guess.
I'd be livid for paying that much for tickets, and only got 9 minutes of running.

Spa fans got screwed over a few years ago in a rain race and ended up with very little compensation.
I'm not so sure that'll work here in the USA, in spite of the fine print on the back of the ticket.
Then again, I'm not an attorney.
In any case, I'd be pissed.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Did that above fan area closure affect people attending FP2?
I'd be royally pissed if I spent that much $$ & couldn't get in...

The Spa rainout last year would've sucked, but tickets there are a drop in the bucket compared to the LVGP, at least what I was seeing.

Was watching an F1 channel on YT. Fans were 'sent home' around 1:30AM & track access closed. FP2 was run with empty stands I guess.
I'd be livid for paying that much for tickets, and only got 9 minutes of running.

Supposedly the reason that the fans got kicked out was that the union contract for security ended at 2am and they weren’t allowed to hold people over.

Running a race in a desert at night, in November. Who would've possibly considered that temps could be an issue?

This cluster on the drain caps is just asinine. Teams should withdraw, during the race if not before --- if they can even fix it by race time -which I doubt.

quote:

Originally posted by ChuckFinley:
Running a race in a desert at night, in November. Who would've possibly considered that temps could be an issue?

This cluster on the drain caps is just asinine. Teams should withdraw, during the race if not before --- if they can even fix it by race time -which I doubt.

They fixed it in the red flagged FP1, gap between & delayed start FP2
FP2 was run 'as normal' with empty stands.
We'll see how FP3 goes tonight, but this whole thing is looking ridiculous overall.

Well that's a mixed up Q3, we'll see if any of it leads to some interesting results.
Still not an exciting circuit, overall.

I'm expecting a few in the wall at the 7/8 chicane, and maybe 14/15 if they lose too much tire/brake temp on the Strip.

Surprised to only see around 218mph for how long the straight is. Speed trap max was 215 IIRC.

I'm interested to see how the slipperiness of the Williams serves them while starting 5th and 6th.

I'm expecting lots of overshooting onto the escape areas and Safety Cars.

Got a feeling planning pit stops and taking advantage of incidents will play a pretty large role

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

This is the weirdest timetable ever.

Times Vegas local time
FP1: 8:30PM 11/16
FP2: Midnight 11/17
FP3: 8:30PM 11/17
Quali: Midnight 11/18
Race: 10PM 11/18

Midnight for FP2 & Quali

To an extent, I get the Saturday start time, even if it's to appease the Euro fanbase.

"Let me get this straight..." (Al Mundy)

Europeans got to watch final qualifying at 9AM CET this past morning and with watch the race starting at 7AM CET tomorrow?