Las Vegas Grand Prix

The third GP in the USA (ugh) is a night race in Las Vegas. It’s not often that I agree with Verstappen, but he described it as “99% show, 1% sporting event” – there’s no doubt this is all about money and show. The track looks like a pig but all the maps show it upside down, so it wasn’t long before the Spider Pig memes started 🙂

The good news is there were no post-race penalties after Brazil, so the result stands. However Haas’ appeal of the (??) results was postponed and then denied.

Free Practice was a joke. FP1 was red-flagged after just 9 mins because a loose manhole cover damaged SAI’s car. The stewards fail to notify the teams of the issue so OCO also hit the manhole.
FP2 was postponed so the track workers could check all the drains; meanwhile the fans were told to leave the stands, so they really got their moneys-worth 🙁

What’s most annoying is that it’s not like people hadn’t spotted the manhole covers and commented on them – cue Kym Illman’s video; he also had a good round-up video after FP1.
(Incidentally there are no support races so the track was untested before FP1)

During the delay, the stewards announced a 10-place grid penalty for SAI because Ferrari have replace multiple engine components… to fix the damage caused by the circuit! The stewards claim they spent three hours trying to find a rule that would allow them not to penalise him. Hmmm, given how arbitrarily they apply rules they could just choose not to penalise him!

Unsurprisingly in the team principals’ press conference, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was pretty unhappy but the idiot interviewer just tried to push his concerns aside. [video]
Toto’s right that this has happened before (e.g. Baku) but surely that’s why the organisers should have known to secure the drain covers etc.

Anyway, FP2 finally ran without incident.
As for FP3: ALB hit the wall at Turn 5, ripping the tyre off the rim and that brought out the red flag.

Qualifying

Air temperature 16°C; track 14°C … yes, it’s cold because it’s midnight local time. Wooly hats are on show on the pit wall!

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
STR has been given a 5 grid spot penalty for overtaking under double waved yellow flags in FP3
Radio for GAS reminding him they can be slow in the pit exit but not stationary
MAG 1:35.968
PER 1:35.323
LEC 1:34.898
SAI 1:34.787
LEC 1:34.072
NOR was blocked by PER
PIA rubbed his rear left wheel on the tyre wall but escaped damage
TSU is the first to have his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits – I’m surprised he managed that given how little space there is between the track and the wall
5mins left; bottom 5 are ZHO, RIC, HUL, GAS, TSU
SAI 1:33.851
LEC 1:33.617
OCO runs a little wide but stays on the track
Yellow flag – TSU off at Turn 5 but he recovers and the flags are removed
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are ZHO, PIA, STR, RIC, TSU
RIC P14 relegating OCO to P16
ZHO P17
STR P11, NOR P16 (and NOR is in the pits)
Back of the grid: NOR, OCO, ZHO, PIA, TSU

Replay of VER diving inside OCO into Turn 1 having just called the Alpine driver an idiot
Incident involving HAM, RUS, ALB, ZHO, GAS and BOT noted – failing to follow race director’s instructions – maximum delta time (i.e. going too slowly)
STR is being summoned by the stewards for passing a car under yellow flags, again!

Qualifying session 2
MAG 1:34.319
SAI 1:34.146
LEC 1:33.966
PER 1:33.965
ALO 1:33.880
HAM 1:33.837
(RUS P2)
VER 1:33.607
5mins left; bottom 5 are SAR, STR, RIC, BOT, HUL
LEC 1:32.834
(SAI P2)
PER pits; he’s only P6
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are BOT, ALB, GAS, SAR, RIC
SAR P6, STR P11
BOT P8, HUL P11
RIC P15
ALB P5, PER P11
GAS P4, HAM P11
LEC 1:32.775
Radio from HAM, “Couldn’t go faster mate”
HUL P13
Middle of the grid: HAM, PER, HUL, STR*, RIC (*STR has 5 place grid penalty to be applied)

Top 10 shootout is between LEC, SAI*, RUS, GAS, VER, ALB, ALO, MAG, SAR, BOT (*SAI has 10 place grid penalty to be applied)

Qualifying session 3
ALO 1:33.555
SAI 1:33.043
LEC 1:33.021
GAS P4
MAG P5
VER P3
RUS P5
Order after the first run: LEC, SAI, VER, ALO, RUS, GAS, MAG; no time yet from ALB, SAR, BOT
SkySports commentator mentions that it’s feeling colder than at the start of Quali; telemetry shows track temp 16°C
3mins left; only VER remains in the pits … but he leaves the garage now
SAR P8
BOT P9
ALB P10
MAG P4
LEC 1:32.726
Chequered flag; order is LEC, SAI, VER, MAG, ALO, RUS, GAS, SAR, BOT, ALB
VER pits
ALO P5
SAI P2
SAR P4
BOT P5
RUS P4
ALB P5
GAS P5
Provisional grid: LEC, SAI*, VER, RUS, GAS, ALB, SAR, BOT, MAG, ALO, HAM, PER, HUL, STR*, RIC, NOR, OCO, ZHO, PIA, TSU
(*SAI has 10 place grid penalty and STR has 5 place grid penalty to be applied)

Race

The drivers parade is super cheesy, as you’d expect from Vegas
The old car that was going to take PIA around has dropped oil over the P2 grid spot
Pit lane is open; drivers can make their way to the grid
Crazy number of people on the grid… but I guess everyone wants to be seen there, regardless of how little they know about F1
NOR says the track is a bit cooler and it’s more windy, so he’s going to struggle from near the back of the grid

Grid: LEC, VER, RUS, GAS, ALB, SAR, BOT, MAG, ALO, HAM, PER, SAI, HUL, RIC, NOR, OCO, ZHO, PIA, STR, TSU
LEC leads everyone away on the formation lap
Everyone starting on medium compound tyres except HAM, ZHO and PIA on hards, and STR and TSU on softs
VER lines up pointing a little right but his biggest challenge will be the cement dust put down to absorb the oil from the drivers’ parade

01/50: VER pushes LEC wide and off at Turn 1 – that’s pretty dirty but VER will blame dust on his tyres, I’m sure
SAI spins in Turn 1
ALO, HAM also involved
Radio from ALO reporting damage
Virtual Safety Car deployed

02[VSC]: PER pits; new nose; hard tyres go on; rejoins P18
ALO and BOT pit too
Marshals clean up debris in Turn 1
VSC ending

03: VER, LEC, RUS, GAS, ALB, SAR, MAG, OCO, STR, HUL, TSU, PIA, NOR, HAM, RIC, ZHO, SAI, PER, ALO, BOT
DRS enabled
NOR has smacked the wall; he’s in the run-off area
SC deployed
A bunch of marshals standing watching NOR’s car in the tyre wall but not one of them going to check on him 🙁
Finally they approach the car – maybe they were waiting for the ok from race control

04[SC]: Replay shows NOR’s McLaren spin around well before that corner
NOR is getting into the medical car

05/50[SC]: Replay of the start shows ALO spin and then BOT hits him
Radio from HAM reporting debris from NOR’s car hit his front wing
Still no word from the stewards about VER pushing LEC off-track at the start

06[SC]: The SC is doing 190mph on the straight but the drivers are still complaining it’s not fast enough because their tyres are losing temps (track is only 18°C)
SC ending

07: PIA dives inside TSU to steal P10
SAI defends P17 from countryman ALO

08: VER fastest lap 1:40.785
HAM squeezes past TSU
VER given 5sec penalty for the lap 1 incident – totally inadequate

09: VER f/lap 1:40.142
OCO all over MAG’s rear wing
TSU heads a train of 6 cars
Radio for VER telling him of his penalty; “Give them my regards” says the obnoxious brat

10/50: VER, LEC, RUS, GAS, ALB, SAR, OCO, MAG, PIA, HUL, HAM, TSU, ZHO, RIC, STR, PER, ALO, SAI, BOT; out: NOR
VER f/lap 1:39.669
VER’s lead is over 2sec
RUS f/lap 1:39.561
PIA takes P8 from MAG but the Dane is fighting back

11: GAS f/lap 1:39.005
ALO and STR battling over P15 but that lets ALO pass ALO

12: VER f/lap 1:38.763
VER’s lead just under 2sec but is that him not pulling ahead so it doesn’t seem so obvious that the penalty is irrelevant?

13: SAI nearly rear-ends RIC under braking
Radio for SAI telling him to cool the car
SAI takes P14 from RIC

14: LEC f/lap 1:38.604
HAM f/lap 1:38.495
SAR runs a bit wide and OCO takes P6
PIA dives inside SAR for P7

15/50: VER, LEC, RUS, GAS, ALB, OCO, PIA, SAR, HAM, MAG
ALO f/lap 1:37.964
Somehow LEC now has DRS behind VER – did VER make a mistake?

16: RUS pits; hards go on; rejoins P13
LEC has a look at VER but tucks behind the Red Bull
Radio from VER complaining his “tyres are gone”; he’s told to box
LEC past VER to reclaim P1

17: VER pits; serves 5sec penalty; rejoins P11
HAM has a puncture; replay shows there was wheel-to-wheel contact with PIA
HAM loses a handful of places because he can’t stop the Mercedes

18: HAM pits; mediums go on; slow stop; rejoins P19
Race control quick to note collision between HAM and PIA

19: PER takes P2 from OCO
Race control – no further action for HAM/PIA incident
RUS all over ZHO’s tail… and takes P7

20/50: LEC, PER, OCO, STR, SAI, ALO, RUS, ZHO, VER, GAS, ALB, PIA, BOT, SAR, MAG, HUL, TSU, HAM, RIC; out: NOR
VER around ZHO for P8

21: OCO pits; hards; P12
Top 5 all yet to pit – are any going for a 1-stop?

22: LEC pits; switches from mediums to hards; front-right was a bit slow; rejoins P3
RUS trying to find a way around ALO
VER f/lap 1:37.880
TSU makes his 2nd pit stop

23: RUS takes P5 from ALO
VER passes ALO too

24: SAI has RUS and VER with DRS behind him
RUS takes P4; VER takes P5; SAI now P6

25/50: PER, STR, LEC, RUS, VER, SAI, ALO, GAS, ZHO, PIA
OCO f/lap 1:37.677
VER closing on RUS
VER dives inside; hits RUS; breaks the Red Bull’s front wing
LEC takes P2 from STR

26: Radio from VER of course blaming RUS for turning in; ugh!
SC deployed because of the debris on track

27[SC]: PER pits; hards go on
STR, VER, RUS, SAI, ALO all pit
Did VER pass OCO at the pit exit? Well, does it matter because he’ll get away with it
Incident involving VER and RUS noted

28[SC]: LEC, PER, GAS, PIA, VER, OCO, STR, ALB, RUS, SAI, SAR, ALO, ZHO, MAG, RIC, HUL, HAM, BOT, TSU; out: NOR
Replay – was that an unsafe release for STR?
SC ending
LEC almost lost it behind the SC
RUS given 5-sec penalty – what a joke; I know the FIA think VER can do no wrong, but this is ridiculous

29: ALO steals P11 from SAR
PIA squeaks past GAS to grab P4
Radio from HAM, “Wind has suddenly picked up”
Race control have noted unsafe release for VER… no further investigation

30/50: LEC, PER, PIA, GAS, VER, OCO, ALB, STR, RUS, SAI
VER has a look at passing GAS but there’s no DRS just yet

31: DRS enabled
GAS defending P4 from VER
LEC defending P1 from PER

32: PIA f/lap 1:37.128
PER inside LEC for a clean pass; takes P1
PIA now has DRS behind LEC

33: VER f/lap
VER inside PIA; the rookie lets VER take P4

34: Alpine teammates GAS and OCO squabble over P5
Radio telling them to hold position – OCO now ahead of GAS

35/50: PER, LEC, VER, PIA, OCO, GAS, ALB, STR, RUS, SAI, ALO, ZHO, HAM, SAR, MAG, HUL, RIC, BOT, TSU
LEC has DRS behind PER, but VER has DRS behind LEC
LEC surprises PER and takes P1

36: VER f/lap 1:36.239
Presumably PER will yield to VER
VER takes P2

37: VER inside LEC, but LEC brakes later; VER holds the inside line and takes P1

39: RUS takes P8 from ALB

40/50: VER, LEC, PER, PIA, OCO, GAS, STR, RUS*, ALB, SAI, ALO, HAM, ZHO, SAR, MAG, HUL, RIC, TSU, BOT; out: NOR (*RUS has 5sec penalty to be applied)
VER f/lap 1:35.938
ALB runs wide; SAI and ALO storm past
HAM now passes ALB for P11

41: VER nearly 1.5sec clear of LEC; PER has DRS behind LEC

42: LEC a bit wide in Turn 1
STR has taken P6 from GAS
SkySports report that NOR has been transferred to a hospital for observation

43: LEC locks up, runs wide and PER takes P2
SAI past GAS for P7

44: PIA pits from P4; mediums; P11 just ahead of ALB
ALB takes P11

45/50: VER, PER, LEC, OCO, STR, RUS, SAI, GAS, ALO, HAM
VER f/lap 1:35.614
HAM inside GAS for P9

46: LEC now has DRS behind PER
HAM has DRS behind ALO

47: HAM takes P8
MAG past ZHO for P13
Yellow flag – HUL has pulled off and parked the Haas
LEC right on PER’s tail

48: Yellow flag – TSU is pulling off too
RUS takes P5 from STR
PIA has takes P10 from GAS

49: Radio for VER asking him to let PER close up a bit and give him a slipstream

50/50: VER has backed off a bit and PER now just under 2.5sec behind his teammate
LEC dives inside PER and steals P2

Bieber’s waving the chequered flag; well that just sums up how bad this race weekend has been

VER takes the chequered flag
LEC P2
PER P3

Provisional result: VER, LEC, PER, OCO, STR, SAI, HAM, RUS*, ALO, PIA; GAS, ALB, MAG, RIC, ZHO, SAR, BOT
(*RUS’s 5sec penalty drops him from P4 to P8)
DNF: TSU, HUL, NOR
Fastest lap: PIA 1:35.490 on lap 47

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[2023 calendar and driver line-up]