Long have we waited for this moment where we will see Formula 1 cars race through the streets of Las Vegas for the first time in history! With it, we have reached the penultimate race of the 2023 Formula 1 season and we must say, what a spectacle it will be.
Nicknamed “The City That Never Sleeps”, Las Vegas has sparked controversy in Formula 1 circles from its very announcement earlier this year. We won’t get into the polemics on this issue, nor the politics surrounding it, we are excited to see how this event plays out.
On a more relevant note, the forecast for this GP is interesting to say the least. Being a night race, the conditions and the air temperature are expected to drop to 4 degrees Celsius. For F1 cars, this is considered to be extreme weather and it remains to be seen how both the drivers and their cars alike react to it.
Will these extreme weather conditions produce an unlikely winner? Or will Max Verstappen dominate once more and claim the Las Vegas crown? UK bookmaker William Hill has the latest odds!
※ Current Odds Date & Time: November 13th, 6:00 P.M. (EST)
This week’s odds are a bit surprising to say the least. Save for Max Verstappen as he is once again the heavy favourite to win in Vegas. His price currently sits an average low of 1.28 for victory on Sunday.
Now, the interesting bit comes if we look at who holds 2nd and 3rd place with the bookmakers. In 2nd place we have Lando Norris who is priced at 9.00 followed by Charles Leclerc in 3rd place with a price of 15.00. This comes as a shock considering how well Aston Martin and Sergio Perez performed at the Brazilian GP. Perhaps the bookmakers expect the conditions to serve Ferrari instead of the competition?
The Circuit
The circuit for this race weekend is not known to either fans or drivers as it was introduced to the calendar for the first time in F1 history. Nicknamed by fans as “The Simpsons Piggy” due to its uncanny resemblance to the pig in the Simpsons cartoon, the fans aren’t exactly thrilled about this track nor its layout.
Speaking of track statistics, we can only cover the basics as the track is brand new to the sport. That said, the circuit is a 6.201 km long track with 17 corners and 2 DRS zones numbering 50 laps. The race covers a distance of 310.05 km.
What to Expect?
Being a brand new track as it is, making any relevant predictions or expectations would be highly unprofessional and inaccurate. The track is yet to be tested by drivers and as such, can make accidents more likely to happen as well as mistakes costing drivers valuable points or grid positions.
Some experts have pointed out that the extreme temperatures will create problems with tire compounds claiming that drivers will not be able to heat up their tires to desired temperatures. These experts have went so far as to claim these conditions will prove highly dangerous for drivers and spectators alike advocating extreme caution.
We hope the race proves thrilling and that everyone escapes the Las Vegas strip unscathed. The race starts on the 19th at 6:00 am UK time.
