2023 F1 Las Vegas GP: Top 5 Predictions

The Formula One Management (FOM) will be hoping that the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP will be the first of many races that can spread the popularity of the sport outside Europe.

The 'show' part of the race weekend has already kicked off as it tends to happen when it comes to the races in America. There are however some intriguing questions already in place for what one can expect in the race.

The race weekend is going to offer a varied number of challenges. A new track that has not been raced on before always tends to be a bit dusty and will get cleaned as the weekend progresses.

The long and narrow street circuit is going to bring some interesting challenges with it. Having siad that, what can we expect from the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP? Let's take a look.

#1 Max Verstappen wins the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP

The variables at play are plenty and if Red Bull is not careful, it might slip up. The weather could throw a curve ball. The track layout will have F1 cars running on it for the first time. There's a lot of dependence on simulation and most importantly, the chilly weather in which the race will be run is another possible banana peel.

Having said that, the track layout favors cars that are happy on a low downforce set-up. Red Bull tends to be good in these conditions and with overtaking opportunities aplenty, one could expect the team to have a competitive package. We're backing win no.18 for Max Verstappen at the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP.

#2 Ferrari could prove to be a real threat

If you look at the track layout for the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP, it demands low downforce efficiency. You add another variable in chilly conditions and cars should be able to light up their tires quickly.

When you talk about Ferrari, these are the two areas where the teams tend to do well. Could it challenge Red Bull and Max Verstappen? While in qualifying that is bound to happen, we need to see what happens during the race. Ferrari should be a podium contender at this track ahead of teams like Mercedes and McLaren.

#3 Mercedes might have a tough time at the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP

Mercedes, on the other hand, might have a tough time at the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP because of the track demands. The car is draggy and arguably struggles to get the tires up to temperature. These are the direct opposite of what's needed to excel this weekend.

While the team could bounce back in the race on Sunday, the overall weekend might prove to be a tough one for Mercedes, especially in its battle with Ferrari in the championship.

#4 The overall racing bit is going to be very intriguing

While the show around the race has taken up a lot of limelight, let's not forget that the race is on Sunday, and considering everything, it's going to be interesting. The track for the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP is a fast and narrow street circuit with plenty of areas to pull off overtakes. To add to this, the challenges in play for many teams are only going to make it even more interesting. It's going to be an eventful and intriguing race on Sunday.

#5 Williams and Haas are serious dark horses for the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP

Williams will be looking at those long straights with interest while Haas will surely be keeping an eye on the requirements to have a strong race at Las Vegas. The American team has one major Achilles heel and that is the car's inability to keep tires alive for long. Tires getting overheated and hence wearing out has been one of the major concerns for the team.

For the F1 Las Vegas GP, one thing that the team might not have to worry about is tires overheating. This might be the weekend where Haas scores a few points and surprises everyone. For Williams as well, this might be an opportunity to tighten its grip on P7 in the championship.