The 2023 Singapore Grand Prix winner, Carlos Sainz, says he is heading into the Las Vegas GP buoyed by the prospect of a good result due to the similar characteristics the two tracks share with each another.
The Scuderia are the only team who have managed to beat Red Bull in the 2023 Formula 1 season when Sainz delivered victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit with an expertly managed drive. That followed a strong performance at the Italian GP 14 days earlier where Sainz took pole position and then led the first 14 laps from Max Verstappen.
The two tracks have two things in common that will also be present in Las Vegas – a reliance on mechanical grip due to the low downforce at Monza and the 90-degree nature of Singapore and straights – prompting Sainz to anticipate another good weekend for Ferrari.
“[We have] better hope than recently, mainly because the track looks probably a bit more suited to us than recent tracks,” Sainz said to media ahead of the Las Vegas GP. “Long straights like in Monza and tight corners like in Monza or Singapore.“
“Maybe there’s the combinations of Turn 1 and Turn 2 where we will not be very quick, but then the rest of the track our cars should be better suited now than recent events and hopefully that gives us a better opportunity.”
Parts of Las Vegas Sainz likes
The first race in Las Vegas since 1982 has been controversially received in a variety of areas. Notably, the circuit design with its limited number of corners between some very long straights, potentially teeing up a boring race. However, Sainz thinks that the track has its redeeming qualities.
“[Turns] 1, 2 and 3 I think is a good combination, they’re long corners,” Sainz added. “There’s two corners that stand out a bit to the rest of the track that is more like 90-degree angles or short apex corners
“I think there’s a very long combined braking, I think it’s Turn 6 and 7 and that, in the simulator, was actually quite tricky to get right. Apart from that, it’s obviously going to be about the long straights the big braking zones, being confident, getting close to walls also on the exit of the corners.
“Apart from that it’s just getting confidence with a low-downforce car. On such long straights with heavy braking, it’s about getting comfortable and it’s going to be the key.”
