Not only do they have to ensure they can get the three Pirelli compounds to work effectively, but the unusually low temperatures will also have a significant impact on overall car cooling, and hence the aero specifications that teams run.
As such, the challenge is very different from that at the recent races in Qatar and Mexico City. Compared to the latter, where the thin air requires maximum cooling, Vegas will be at the opposite extreme.
And, while it’s obvious that modern hybrid V6 power units don’t like running too hot, equally they are not designed to operate in extreme cold conditions. For example, it’s important that the plenum chamber doesn’t get too cool.
While F1 cars run in chilly winter testing and filming days in Europe, the difference is that Vegas is a competitive event, which means that there can be no compromises in terms of power unit usage and so on, and the car spec is fixed from the start of qualifying onwards.
The ultra-long main straight that runs along The Strip will present its own challenges. Much like Baku, it will ensure that brakes and tyres will potentially be colder than optimum when cars reach the corner at the end of it.
Just to add to the fun, as with any street circuit, there’s only so much detail that teams have been able to incorporate into their simulations in terms of bumps, and the exact nature of the newly-laid surface remains something of an unknown.
“It is tough,” says Williams' head of vehicle performance Dave Robson. “I think that combination of the track surface, which we know very little about, and how that will interact with the tyres will dictate so much of how the weekend pans out.
“In terms of the layout of the track, we've got a good understanding of that, and we can run it in the simulator and get a rough idea.
“Going to a new track like that, one of the main things will be that we go with a clear starting position, but we also have a whole host of options lined up ready to cover whatever actually happens.
“Certainly, we can't predict exactly how the car will behave in Vegas, so we will go there with plenty of options.”
Source: Autosport