The Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend did not start in the best way, neither for the drivers nor for Liberty Media which invested so much to bring this stage back to the calendar after an absence of 40 years. After the inconvenience of the manholes which stopped the activity of the FP1 after just 8 minutes, the drivers had to wait until 2 am to be able to get on the track, with the stands empty and with consequent problems related to temperatures and the fact that the track was not rubberized at all. There are still many unknowns linked to the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But let's see who shone in this endless night with advice to Fanta F30 for the Las Vegas GP!
Who to deploy at Fanta F1
Ferrari immediately showed itself to be fast, taking a 1-2 in the FP2, which however has a bitter aftertaste considering that Carlos Sainz will be forced to start on the starting grid with 10 positions less due to battery changes. An inconvenience due to the strong impact with the offending manhole which caused damage not only to Sainz but also to Ocon's Alpine. However, the FIA did not want to grant an exemption to the Maranello team, appealing the regulations. Which the rest of the paddock didn't like either. The only team that has sided with the FIA is in fact Mercedes.
In these 90 minutes the pilots tried to catch feeling with the track which has evolved in the meantime. However, we had the opportunity to see the values on the track especially with regards to the flying lap. Only towards the end did the teams focus on race pace. The most interesting factor is that they are all very close. Ferrari took the stage by dominating the session with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The Monegasque finished about half a second behind his teammate and the first of the others, Fernando Alonso, also setting good times in the race pace simulation. Aston Martin found the podium again last weekend and in Las Vegas it demonstrated that it is at ease especially in the third sector.
Who has had problems, but it's not surprising is Red Bull. The team had to fight with the braking system, failing to put in a proper lap. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez closed the session with the sixth and fourth fastest times respectively. On the contrary, in terms of race pace the Austrian team imposed itself on the group, demonstrating excellent consistency as always. Problems also for the anonymous McLaren after this first day of testing, due to problems related to cooling.
Our team
Let's see after this first day which team we could risk for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with the 5 drivers recommended for Fanta F1 and a budget of 100 credits. We risk a lineup with three super names in combo with the two at the lowest price, for budgetary reasons.
LECLERC – NORRIS – ALONSO – MAGNUSSEN – SARGEANT
Tips on forecasts at Fanta F1 in Las Vegas
Being a street circuit that has never been raced on, and being the city of betting, we cannot help but risk the red flag. There was also talk of a risk of rain but at the moment the forecasts do not seem to support this thesis.
Safety Car: YES
Virtual Safety Car: YES
Red Flag: SI
Drivers distinguish between wet/full wet tires in the race: DO NOT
Team double in the race: DO NOT
Driver who starts on pole wins the race: DO NOT
Stables to bring both riders into the top 10: 3
Drivers forced to retire: 5
