2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Preview

November 20, 2024 James Gregory Formula One 0

(Image credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Guide to the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix as F1 begins its triple-header season finale. 

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen arrives in Las Vegas with a 62-point lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris, knowing that a 60-point lead upon completion of the weekend will guarantee him a fourth consecutive F1 title.

McLaren though head Ferrari by 36 points in the constructors’ fight which will rumble on until at least Qatar, with Red Bull not out of contention albeit 13 points behind the second-placed Scuderia.

Now, here is everything that you need to know ahead of 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

 

Track Guide

(Image credit: www.wikipedia.org)

Circuit: Las Vegas Street Circuit

Laps: 50

Race Distance: 310.050km

Tyre Compounds: C3, C4 & C5

 

Schedule (UK Time)

Date Session Time (GMT)
Friday 22 November FP1 2:30am
Friday 22 November FP2 6:00am
Saturday 23 November FP3 2:30am
Saturday 23 November Qualifying 6:00am
Sunday 24 November Race 6:00am

 

Four Key Pointers

  • Maximising track time will be key to unlocking performance and understanding the tyre degradation around this circuit, especially after a chaotic Friday Practice last year.
  • With track temperatures forecast to be cold, drivers will face a tricky test of their tyre warm-up skills to extract maximum lap time and get tyres up to temperature quickly.
  • Brakes could also face the brunt of the cold weather forecast with not many braking zones for drivers to generate tyre temperature, which could lead to several lock-ups across the weekend.
  • Given how similar the circuit is to that of Baku, Ferrari and McLaren will be considered favourites but Verstappen has the fresher power unit advantage.

 

Title Permutations

Verstappen needs to hold a 60-point lead over Norris at the end of the weekend to secure his fourth title, so here is how he can win the title and what Norris can do to prolong his title dreams under various scenarios including fastest lap (FL).

If Verstappen finishes Norris needs….
1 N/A
2 1st
3 2nd or 1st if Verstappen gets FL
4 3rd or 2nd if Verstappen gets FL
5 4th with FL or 3rd
6 5th with FL or 4th
7 6th with FL or 5th
8 7th with FL or 6th
9 8th with FL or 7th
10 9th with FL or 8th
11th or lower 9th with FL or 8th

 

Last Time Out

Charles Leclerc claimed pole on F1’s inaugural visit in 2023 but Verstappen passed him for the lead with a late-braking move at the opening corner, which earned the Dutchman a five-second time penalty.

Verstappen nevertheless recovered to take victory with a race-winning overtake on Leclerc on lap 37, with the Monegasque eventually snatching second in a late tussle with Sergio Perez.

 

2024 Race Recaps

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