The iconic Las Vegas Strip Circuit may promise glitz and glamour, but Ferrari’s Thursday performance under the neon lights left much to be desired. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz battled low-grip conditions, tyre graining, and biting desert cold, with both drivers admitting significant work lies ahead before Saturday’s all-important qualifying.
“Vegas Grip Vanishes as Ferrari Fights for Traction”
Day one of the Las Vegas Grand Prix exposed the SF-23’s Achilles’ heel: tyre performance in freezing conditions. With air temperatures dipping to 14°C and the track barely warmer at 16°C, Ferrari drivers struggled to extract performance in both Free Practice sessions.
In FP1, Leclerc led the Scuderia’s charge with a 1:36.007, edging Sainz’s 1:36.218 during initial runs on Medium and Soft compounds. Their 53 laps provided crucial data on the high-speed, heavy-braking layout but highlighted the challenge of warming tyres under such conditions.
FP2 saw Ferrari push harder, focusing on qualifying simulations under the night lights. Sainz clocked a 1:34.104, marginally ahead of Leclerc’s 1:34.313, who was slowed by traffic on his flying lap. But despite the improved times, both drivers voiced concerns over the car’s handling and grip.
Sainz: “A Complicated Thursday”
Sainz, who is racing his final Grand Prix weekends for Ferrari before his move to Williams in 2025, minced no words about the challenges in Vegas.
“A complicated Thursday here in Vegas due to a challenging track with very low grip, which gave us a strange feeling inside the car,” Sainz said. “For FP2, we tried something different but are still not satisfied with where we are.
“Race pace wasn’t too bad, but there’s still a lot to do. Hopefully, tonight’s analysis will help us identify the biggest areas for improvement.”
Leclerc: “Not as Strong as We Expected”
Leclerc, too, lamented Ferrari’s struggles to manage tyre performance, a critical factor in both qualifying and the race.
“It was not a great day for us and it seems to have been tricky for everyone else as well,” Leclerc admitted. “We are not as strong as we expected to be coming into the weekend.
“With the cold weather conditions, it was difficult to bring the tyres up to temperature, which we knew would be a challenge. We will work on that and see what we can do tomorrow.”
Red Flags and High Stakes
The team’s session was briefly interrupted by a red flag after Alex Albon’s Williams stopped on track, but Ferrari still logged a solid 29 laps per driver in FP2. However, the pressure is mounting: Ferrari is embroiled in a three-way battle for the Constructors’ Championship with McLaren and Red Bull, trailing the leader by just 49 points.
Ferrari’s title drought stretches back to 2008, and the Scuderia is desperate to capitalise on any opportunity to claw back points in the final three races.
Focus Turns to Qualifying Setup
With tyre warm-up proving elusive, Ferrari’s engineering team will burn the midnight oil to fine-tune their setup for Saturday’s qualifying session. The track’s evolving grip levels and a predicted rise in temperatures could play to Ferrari’s advantage, provided they solve their current issues.
As the curtain rises on Formula 1’s Vegas spectacle, the Scuderia faces a high-stakes gamble to stay competitive in the Constructors’ fight. For Leclerc and Sainz, the spotlight now shifts to execution under pressure—because in Las Vegas, there’s no second chance to roll the dice.
