LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It will be mild outside — and possibly wet — when Formula One hits the track in Las Vegas.
That’s the early forecast, but the timing of light to moderate rain is uncertain this far in front of the race, according to 8 News Now chief meteorologist Tedd Florendo. Media reports suggesting that temperatures would be near the coldest ever for an F1 race aren’t accurate, he said.
The forecast
Las Vegas will see high 50s to low 60s at race time, he said. Overnight lows will only drop to mid- to low-50s. It was 41 degrees out when the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix ran in Montreal — an October race.
“Also, with the additional cloud cover in the evening, this will keep it a little milder than clear skies, where heat escapes out in the atmosphere,” Florendo said.
“We are, however, watching the increasing shower chances for mid- to late-week. This would be during the trial runs and possibly during the F1 race. Again, it’s important to note that the forecast could change and we see less rain and even rain chance pushed back a day later,” Florendo said. It’s too early to say how much rain and where it would fall.
“November is typically our fourth driest month since we’re out of monsoon season and outside of any tropical influence,” he said. “It’s also possible this could be our only rain event for the entire month.”
Impact on the race
Temperatures and rain will figure into the choice of tires on the F1 cars during practice races, qualifying and the race itself, which is scheduled at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.
And F1 races aren’t typically canceled if it’s raining. The economics of putting on the events and the travel arrangements of an international fan base are big factors in why the races are hardly ever called off, but a race in Italy this year was canceled due to torrential rain and heavy flooding.
Tire technology and car design usually allow races to go on. And even though drivers are in an open cockpit, the aerodynamics of the cars mean they stay dry, for the most part.
And some drivers, including Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, are known for their skill in driving on wet courses.
An article published Wednesday in The Athletic on Wednesday started the conversation about the coldest temperatures for an F1 race. And while that’s unlikely, the article does break down all the details surrounding what’s seen as a “big unknown” for drivers running the first race on the Las Vegas Strip.
It’s not just the tires. It’s also the brand new track. “Track evolution — where lap times get quicker as more rubber is laid down — will be very high in Las Vegas,” The Athletic writes. There’s speculation that the cars will need more warm-up laps to get tire temperature up.
The schedule
The full schedule released by F1 begins at 6 p.m. Thursday. Events continue until about 2:15 a.m. the first two nights. The times for activities on the track:
THURSDAY
First practice session: 8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Formula 1 Pirelli Hot Laps: 9:45 p.m.-10:25 p.m.
Formula 1 Pirelli Hot Laps: 10:30 p.m.-11:10 p.m.
Second practice session: 12:00 a.m.-1 a.m.
FRIDAY
Third practice session: 8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Formula 1 Pirelli Hot Laps: 9:45 p.m.-10:25 p.m.
Qualifying: 12:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
SATURDAY
Las Vegas Grand Prix: 10:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
‘The new Monaco’
The stakes are high for resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and for Liberty Media, owners of Formula One. But optimism continues among resort executives who see the promise of benefits in an international sporting event.
“This is the new Monaco, from Formula One and Liberty Media’s perspective,” Las Vegas Grand Prix CEO Renee Wilm told 8 News Now. You can see the full interview with Wilm at 11:30 p.m. Saturday on Politics Now on KLAS-TV, Channel 8.
Wilm responded to questions about the difficulties in turning the project around so quickly, but she said there would have been no benefit in waiting.
“This is a Year One event for which there is no playbook. There are other F1 races that do happen on a street circuit but none of this magnitude in a city quite like Las Vegas,” Wilm said. “So we endeavor to create a one-of-a-kind event and we knew there’d be challenges. Logistics absolutely are the hardest part of this entire project, but I’m confident that we will continue to work through the kinks.”
But the enormous amount of road work required this year isn’t an every-year event, she said.
“Going forward, there will certainly be patchwork here and there, but this asphalt is intended to last six to 10 years, so the level of inconvenience and the level of traffic that has been caused is truly a Year One pain point,” Wilm said.
