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The 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP is one of the most anticipated races of the season. For years, the sport has tried to establish itself in the American market but failed for one reason or the other. In the last four to five years, however, there has been a marked interest in F1 in the market.
As a result, what we see right now is F1 hosting not one but three races in the country. The 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP marks the third race in the United States that feature on the calendar this year. What can we expect from the race weekend? How will everything pan out? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 Las Vegas GP: Preview
Key Storylines
#1 The F1 Las Vegas GP itself
Trending
The negativity around the event has caught the eye of many including media personnel who have reached Las Vegas already. The 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP has proved to be a massive disruptor of day to day life of the locals.
The inflated prices at unprecedented levels in trying to make the event too exclusive has not gone down well with the fans either. While F1 continues to keep a brave face for now, there are going to be some tense voices in the background concerned with how the race weekend will pan out.
#2 The track layout and uncertainty
The race will be held in somewhat chilly conditions at night and everyone is worried about how the cars are going to tackle the problem. Not only that, the pitlane exit is something that is going to come under the scanner once again.
The race being held at night in chilly conditions with a suspect pitlane exit is just not ideal and is definitely going to add to the intrigue of the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP. The race is going to be an eventful one way or the other, especially with alien conditions expected to throw a wrench in everybody's plans.
#3 The looming Andretti-General Motors shadow on the grid
With General Motors announcing its registration to be an F1 power unit supplier for 2028 and the seeming cold shoulder given to the development by FOM, it does appear that the situation is going to get tense when it comes to the 11th grid slot.
One of the arguments against Andretti by the teams and the FOM was a lack of value it brought. Is the same claim going to stand if an automotive giant like General Motors is going to be involved? The conversation around the 11th team is only going to gain momentum in the coming days.
Form guide
In form
Beating Max Verstappen to pole position in the sprint in Brazil is surely something that's going to boost the confidence of Lando Norris. The McLaren driver has been the closest challenger to Max in the last few races and is finally starting to put things together as well.
The track layout for the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP might not be the best for McLaren but you can bank on Norris to make the most of the package under him.
Out of form
George Russell has struggled to keep up with teammate Lewis Hamilton as soon as Mercedes introduced its latest upgrade package. This is something that seems to have had an impact on the driver and his confidence in the car as well. With the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP track layout not expected to suit the car much, the driver will be just hoping to get the best he can from the package.
2023 F1 Las Vegas GP: Predictions
Who will win the race?
Since we're talking about the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP, let's gamble a little. The track surface will feature long straights, low downforce setups, and chilly conditions. This should ideally favor the Ferrari package because of its nature to charge its tires quickly, although it struggles with overheating.
This time around we're backing Charles Leclerc to make the most of the Ferrari package and pick up his first win of the season.
The surprise of the weekend (Team)
One major Achilles heel for Haas has been the car's inability to keep its tires alive. The team has struggled to keep its tires in the operating window as more often than not the temperatures spiral out of control.
The 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP has a completely different challenge as many will find it hard to keep the temperature in the tires. This is where we expect Haas to do well and score points for the team.
The surprise of the weekend (Driver)
Our surprise for the weekend is based on Haas and while we expect the team to do well, we expect Nico Hulkenberg to be the driver that takes advantage of the situation. The driver has put together a strong qualifying record with that car but the poor race pace has compromised a lot of things.
With tire wear not expected to be high on the agenda, we're backing Nico Hulkenberg to come out strong this weekend.
Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)
This might come as a surprise but we're going with Sergio Perez on this one. The Mexican driver had a decent race in Brazil but what he wants the most right now is predictable conditions. The 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP is going to be anything but that. Expect the driver to struggle to keep up with his teammate, further endangering his spot for the 2024 F1 season.
Disappointment of the weekend (Team)
In terms of the team, the biggest disappointment is going to be Mercedes as the German outfit continues to get handicapped by the low downforce conditions. The team will be hoping that the surfaces prove to be abrasive but it does appear highly unlikely that the team will have a strong weekend this time around.
