Las Vegas represents a decisive weekend for Ferrari, looking for a win. Will Ferrari struggle with the cold in Las Vegas?
It has been a talking point since the start of the season, widely discussed over time, and now the moment has arrived: the Las Vegas Grand Prix week is here, and for Ferrari, it’s time to secure crucial points in the Constructors’ Championship. This weekend is of utmost importance for the Maranello team, as the SF-24 is set to shine on what is, on paper, the most favorable track left on the calendar in terms of technical characteristics. However, not all that glitters is gold. A closer look at the weather forecast, which predicts icy conditions, suggests a potential stumbling block for Vasseur and his team, as it may reignite the most glaring issue of the Ferrari car: warming up its tires.
The key question on everyone’s mind is: why would Ferrari specifically struggle in these cold conditions? Clear examples can be drawn from their performances in Canada and Singapore earlier this season. In Montreal, Ferrari was hampered by heavy rain throughout the weekend, which caused a sharp drop in track temperatures. Similarly, at Marina Bay, a disrupted qualifying session ruined what should have been a perfect weekend for the Prancing Horse. Red flags led to a significant drop in track temperatures, exposing Ferrari’s difficulties in such conditions. In short, Ferrari struggles in the cold.
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Beyond the colder weather, the real issue lies in getting the tires into the optimal temperature window. As highlighted in the Pirelli statement, Ferrari has repeatedly faced significant challenges in achieving the perfect lap at crucial moments this season, with both drivers experiencing these difficulties. This has been a notable disadvantage on Saturdays (Ferrari has secured only four pole positions this year) but paradoxically becomes an advantage on Sundays, as the delayed tire warm-up translates into reduced tire wear during the race.
This peculiar characteristic is not to be underestimated, as it highlights the hard work undertaken at Maranello. The team has made a deliberate effort to reverse the trend from last season, where Ferrari excelled in qualifying but faltered during races. A stark example of this was Azerbaijan in 2023: Charles Leclerc secured the first of seven pole positions that year, outpacing both Red Bulls of Verstappen and Perez, only for Ferrari to dramatically fall behind on race day, finishing over 10 seconds adrift of winner Sergio Perez.
As reported in recent days, Charles Leclerc has already shared his thoughts with the press about what he and Ferrari expect from the Las Vegas Grand Prix: “
I think on paper, this is a track where we should achieve good results. However, the fact that we’ve improved a lot in tire management means that on such a cold circuit, it will be challenging to get the tires into the right window. . On paper, the outlook is still positive. Perhaps not as positive as last year, but given how close everything is, I believe we’ll have a chance to win”. The stage is set for Ferrari to overturn its recent struggles and return to victory. Despite the cold
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP