’Simple’ Vegas track to produce overtakes galore; ‘100 per cent’ free X-rated driver offer – Pit Talk

There should be overtakes galore on a “simple” Las Vegas street circuit, according to Williams’ Alex Albon.

The 6.2km, 17-turn track has two DRS zones and an enormous main straight down the famous Strip, but it’s the corners which will help produce passing according to the Thai driver.

“It’s quite a simple circuit in terms of its layout, it’s quite easy to learn,” Albon said.

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“The track is quite interesting, there are quite a few combined corners, which are not easy for front-locking, which is not great for our car, but that’s fine.

“The one thing which will be interesting is how good of a job have they done or not with the track, in terms of the roughness and the bumps.

“In terms of racing, there are going to be a lot of overtakes because, at least from what I have driven, there are a lot of opportunities, a lot of places you can overtake.”

He explained: “In its layout, the streets are absolutely massive, so let’s see.

“For example, in Mexico, there should be more overtaking than there is. There is a massive street.

“But the way sector three is designed, it’s not good for racing at all. It’s so hard to stay close out of the last corner.

“There’s one example of that in Vegas where technically there should be an overtaking spot at the end of the (Strip) straight but the corners before don’t allow you to stay that close.

“Everyone thinks it’s the high-speed corners where we struggle to stay close but it’s not, it’s really the low-speed corners where we struggle to stay close because the front end in these cars are so difficult, especially when the cars are so heavy. As soon as you lose the front in the low speed you’re gone.

“But in Vegas, especially coming out of the last corner into turn one, it’s a corner that’s not that hard to stay close, so I think we will get quite a lot of overtaking.”

F1 SORRY FOR RACE PAIN

The major upheaval of Las Vegas has led to an apology to residents from Formula One’s owner, Liberty Media, as forecasts of a massive financial windfall to the city were revealed.

This week’s race in Sin City will shut down the centre of Las Vegas with F1 cars racing down the famed Strip, leading to major traffic restrictions and disruptions to pedestrians.

It has also led to Liberty Media’s chief Greg Maffei addressing Las Vegas residents with an apology, while hoping to smooth things over with a US$1.7 billion (A$2.6bn) prediction.

“I want to apologise to all the Las Vegas residents and we appreciate that they have their forbearance and their willingness to tolerate us,” he said.

“We’re going to bring something like $1.7bn of revenue to the area. So it’s not just for the benefit of fans who want to view.

“We hope this is a great economic benefit in Las Vegas. We hope this is the most difficult year with all the construction that went on and things will be easier in the future.”

Las Vegas Grand Prix chief executive officer Renee Wilm has a lower prediction, however, saying the projections are closer to $1.2bn.

F1 DRIVERS GIVEN RACY OFFER

A Las Vegas brothel says its opening its doors to all F1 drivers with “100 per cent complimentary coitus” on offer.

Daily Express reports that brothel workers Addison Gray and Alice Little have made the offer, saying that F1 in 2023 lacks “much-needed sex appeal”.

“Our discount isn’t just a gesture of love for F1; it’s an invitation for fans to revel in an experience where sex appeal is celebrated, not sidelined,” Gray said, according to the publication.

“Because in our world, glamour isn’t forbidden; it’s the star of the show!”

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It has been branded as one of the biggest sporting events on the 2023 calender and it’s hard to see why it wouldn’t be.

The glitz. The glamour. Racing under the bright lights of the Strip, in the heart of Las Vegas.

It is a Formula One fan’s dream, although for the drivers themselves it is still a case of business as usual according to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

Speaking to the Spanish version of Motorsport.com, Wolff admitted he had actually never been to Vegas but would be doing his best to put all his focus on the task at hand — and the same applies for the team as a whole.

“I think everyone is looking forward to the Las Vegas race,” Wolff said.

“Racing in this city is comparable to climbing Everest, hats off to Liberty Media for organising this race.

“I don’t think I’m the only one in Formula 1 who has never been to this city, which is quite difficult to get around.

“We don’t know how to get from the hotel to the circuit and back, but I’m sure we’ll find a solution. I can’t wait for the race to start.

“As I said, I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but we’ll do our best to make sure everyone in the team stays away from the casinos. I don’t gamble and I will make sure no one else gambles either.”

Mercedes certainly has plenty of work to do after a nightmare weekend in Brazil, which Wolff described at the time as “baffling and unacceptable”.

Lewis Hamilton finished a disappointing eighth in that race while George Russell, the 2022 winner, retired.

“An inexcusable performance,” said Wolff.

“I don’t have words for that. That car finished second last week and whatever we did to it was horrible.”

FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND WEDDING CHAPEL FOR FORMULA ONE FANS

There will be plenty of time for fans to live it up in Vegas before also enjoying the race itself — and that includes the possibility of even celebrating the occasion by putting a ring on it.

The first-of-its-kind chapel, named ‘Race To The Altar’, includes a wall covered in flowers and a sign that reads: ‘Lights Out And Together We Go’.

Of course, a Formula One-inspired wedding wouldn’t be complete without a car and the venue also features one with the words ‘just married’ on the back.

F1 RACE SHUTS DOWN $3.6BN VEGAS VENUE

Formula One is taking over Las Vegas – and it’s even forcing the brand-new futuristic Sphere facility to close down.

The Sphere is a 111m tall venue which cost $2.3 billion USD to build and features high-definition screens on both the inside and outside of the building.

It was only opened on 29 September and is hosting a whopping 25-show residency from legendary band U2.

But the F1 track for the competition’s Vegas debut runs across the grounds of the facility, forcing F1’s owners Liberty Media to lease out the venue and effectively shut down the brand-new Sphere.

U2 played their last show on November 4, and won’t return until December 1.

“This year we have a relationship where we’ve leased effectively the Sphere, both internally and externally,” Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said.

“The race will be around the Sphere. So we’re utilising their property. We will own all the advertising on the Sphere for the duration of the race for a fixed fee.

“We have bundled that into some [sponsorship] deals, and also sold advertising directly to parties during the race, which will defray part of our costs. It was a necessary cost for us, because we need to be on their land.”

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He added that F1 would also host an event inside the venue on race weekend.

Maffei said: “In addition, we’re going to have a recovery brunch, and you will need to recover, on Sunday morning, in the Sphere. And we will be showing highlights of the race internally.”

U2 lead singer Bono said at their final show before the shutdown: “As I mentioned we’re taking a little break after tonight. We’re giving Las Vegas back to F1.

“If you don’t know what F1 is, it’s a sport where very tidy, lean, mean men and some extraordinary women climb onto rockets and try to stay on earth and not achieve orbit, something like that. A little like rock ‘n’ roll, actually! Less dangerous.”

The superstar introduced the band by comparing them to F1 drivers – labelling himself Daniel Ricciardo, while The Edge became Charles Leclerc, Adam Clayton was Lewis Hamilton, and fill-in drummer Bram van den Berg was nominated as Max Verstappen.

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NEW TRACK LEAVING DRIVERS PUZZLED

As anyone who’s tried the Las Vegas Circuit on the latest F1 video game knows, it can be a bit tricky, especially in the middle sector.

And even the guys who’ll actually be driving it are still trying to work it out.

“There’s still a lot to do,” Max Verstappen conceded after the Brazil GP.

“I still need to go on the simulator. I still don’t even know the track, to be honest.

“The last time I tried it on the F1 game, I think I hit more walls than I was going straight. So, let’s hope that’s not the case when I start driving there!”

The low temperatures due to the late start, as low as 10 degrees Celsius, are also a big mystery heading into the weekend with concerns over heating up the tyres – given how long the main straight is (which will cool them down).

“It’s going to be very different to here, very low temperatures, of course in the night there,” he said.

“It’s a street circuit, we have no experience there, we don’t know the track grip.

“All new – so maybe it will give you a few surprises. I don’t know.”

EX-BOSS MAKES BRUTAL CALL ON ‘BROKEN’ PEREZ

Cyril Abiteboul, previously team boss of Renault F1, has claimed a ‘cruel’ Max Verstappen has ‘broken’ his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez – such is his stunning dominance this campaign.

Perez started the season brilliantly, with two wins in the first four weekends plus a sprint victory in Azerbaijan.

But he has since fallen apart while Verstappen has wrapped up a third-straight title in style, breaking his own record for most wins in a season.

Abiteboul has lavished praise on Red Bull for their utter dominance, comparing it to the previous eight-year reign of Mercedes.

He told Franceinfo: “Mercedes’ dominance was due to one element: the engine. It was exceptional.

“Everyone has had their ups and downs, their moments of brilliance and their problems. But Red Bull has just walked on water.

“It’s amazing because they seem impervious to all variables, be it wind, temperature or ground effect. That makes their dominance even more impressive.

“It’s cruel. Verstappen is so strong that he is able to push a driver like Sergio Pérez, who has been through a lot, to the ground and break him.

“There is a lot of maturity from Red Bull and Max. I have the impression that he is much calmer.”

MERCEDES FIND ANSWERS FOR BRAZIL FLOP

Mercedes suffered a disaster in Sao Paulo, with George Russell failing to finish and Lewis Hamilton limping home in a dismal eighth.

The team was totally uncompetitive all weekend thanks to tyre degradation and engine temperature battles.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: “For me personally, the worst weekend in 13 years.”

He added: “There was something very fundamentally wrong, mechanically,” saying that it wasn’t just a minor set-up issue.

Now, Wolff has revealed that Mercedes has figured out where they went wrong – though they won’t reveal that information to the public or their rivals.

In his preview of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he wrote: “After promising performances in the US and Mexico, we didn’t perform at our best in Brazil.

“We have been hard at work to identify the wrong turn we took with the set-up; we have done that. We understand our mistakes and can explain our performance loss to the field. That’s important as we look to secure P2 in the Constructors’ Championship.”

It’s a positive sign – and frankly, things could hardly get worse than last time out for the Silver Arrows.

Wolff is clearly excited for Vegas, writing: “The eyes of the sporting world will be on F1, and we look forward to putting on a spectacular show. It is going to be something truly special to witness.”