Leclerc's top speed in FP1:

Las Vegas FP1: 338km/h🚀
Monza FP1: 337km/h

Teams are running slightly more loaded rear wings than at Monza; however, the lower air density (due to the higher altitude) should provide higher top speeds than even in the 'Temple of Speed'!

In qualifying, he reached 346km/h in Monza, and an impressive 351km/h in Mexico! (Due to the very high altitude).

Ferrari is evaluating two different rear wings:

- A more loaded version (seen above on Carlos Sainz's car),
- A less loaded one (similar to that seen in Monza shown below).

Las Vegas might favour running slightly more wing than Monza.

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Fastest per sector📊

🔴Sector 1: Ferrari fastest, Alonso was close though

🔵Sector 2 (the slowest one): Leclerc 0.4s quicker than Sainz!

🟡Sector 3 (3 corners connecting two straights): ALO was quickest! Mercedes was competitive. BOT aided by the skinny wing.

So far, McLaren is the only top team that was not competitive in any sector.

A high top speed is crucial on the fast Las Vegas GP track!

🔴Alfa is betting on it through a low-load rear wing!

🔵RB: 3rd highest top speed despite a more loaded wing than most.

🟠McL was draggy despite the skinny wing! The car doesn't lose much drag in low-downforce trim.

Alonso gained over Norris in every straight, not just towards the braking point (where drag matters most) but also at the beginning of each one (which should indicate a lower PU mode by McL).

The difference does not seem huge, though: McL's drag problem is real.

📊Fastest Minisectors

🟢Alonso was quickest in the full-throttle sections following turns 9, 12 and 15! The energy deployment was strong➡️higher engine mode?

🔵RB: fastest in the two DRS zones (and only there!)

🔴Ferrari: quick all-around

Who'll get pole?🤔

Long Runs from FP2!

Ferrari/Aston/RB/AT/Alpine pushed more at the end of the stint

🔴Ferrari had the best overall pace, but 🔵RB was close despite >15laps old tyres!

🟠McL was uncompetitive

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🔵RB has less drag than 🟠McL➡️can run a much more loaded wing (check the difference!) AND have a competitive top speed.

-Without DRS, top speed is similar (321 vs 322)
-With DRS, though, the drag penalty is mitigated and RB gets faster! (347 vs 340).

🗒Notes on Las Vegas GP Quali!

🔴Ferrari’s only rival was a manhole 😭

‘Revenge of Backmarkers’: Williams/Haas/Alfa were competitive at the expense of HAM/PER/McL.

🟠McL is quick on most tracks, except in low-drag trim: drag reduces less than downforce.

Hamilton and Perez missed Q3 also due to a questionable choice made by their teams (having them doing the attempt relatively early when the track still had to reach the best conditions).

Each car's performance explained💡

⬆️Up: better top speed
➡️Right: better overall performance

🔵RB/🟢Merc(!!!)↗️: very efficient🚀
🔴Ferrari➡️: excellent drag-downforce balance👌
🟢Aston⬇️: competitive despite high drag👍
🟠McL↙️: terrible drag and performance👎

The fact that they were able to reduce the car's drag significantly without losing much downforce is encouraging for Mercedes.

The same can't be said for McLaren.

Top Speeds! Las Vegas Gp Quali:

Williams/Alfa/Alpine reached Q3 thanks to their straightline speed!🚀

🟠McL and 🟢Aston, instead, suffered from high drag. 📉

🟢Mercedes's top speed was competitive: that's rare! A good sign.

Ferrari's high-downforce didn't reduce too much drag!

How did Leclerc beat Verstappen to pole?💡

>He gained 0.2s by braking later into turn 1
>VER then recovered the gap in Sector 2 (turns 6-12)
>LEC accelerated better out of turn 12, increasing his gap
>He did the same out of turn 15, increasing the gap to 0.378s!

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Tyres were CRAZY COLD into the turn 14 braking point!

🥶

Cars started the main straight with already cold tyres (50-60°C).

Temperatures dropped 25°C throughout the long straight! They were over 50°C colder than the MINIMUM working temperature at the braking point!

📊Fastest Minisectors

🔴 LEC got pole, but was fastest in less than 1/4 of the lap! He was mighty in turns 1-2, out of t12 and braking into t14.

🔵 VER was quickest in several corners.

🟢 Mercedes' engine was powerful: RUS gained after turns 4, 9, 12, and 16!