F1 analyst and driver Ho-Pin Tung thinks that Ferrari in particular can benefit from the cold temperatures this weekend in Las Vegas. Low temperatures are expected in the desert city, and according to Tung, the Scuderia is always good at warming up the tires during qualifying sessions. Furthermore, the driver thinks that Red Bull’s performance this weekend will depend on the bumpiness of the new circuit.
One of the biggest concerns for teams this weekend at the Grand Prix in Las Vegas is the temperature. It will be cold in the city, which will also make it harder for the tires to warm up. Without temperature in the tires, the drivers will have no grip, Tung also says in his preview on Nu.nl. ‘A racing tire must be warm. If that doesn’t work and you don’t get the tire in the right temperature range, there is no grip.’
According to Tung, even the tire warmers will not be enough to raise the temperature in the tires sufficiently, ‘so it is important to really get the temperature in that outlap.’ Tung also explains what other ways the drivers will try to warm up their tires. ‘If you drive slowly, the tread of the tire cools down very quickly. So as soon as you leave the pit lane, you have to constantly put energy into your tire. You do this, for example, by braking. That is the most efficient way to get temperature and energy into the tire. You’re also going to see drivers swing a lot.’
Ferrari can benefit from cold temperature
The analyst thinks that the Ferrari men in particular will benefit from the conditions in Las Vegas, because the team is always good at warming up the tires during qualifying sessions. ‘It (the tire warming, ed.) often hurts them in the race, because they then have more tire wear. But of course it will come in handy in the qualifications.’
Ride height RB19 is very sensitive
Tung also addresses the question of whether Red Bull is by definition less strong on street circuits, because the Austrian team experienced some problems with the setup during the weekend in Singapore. However, according to Tung, this was due to the bumpiness of the circuit, rather than the Marina Bay Circuit being a street circuit. “It all depends on how bumpy a track is,” Tung gives as a reason why the Red Bull could not perform so well in Singapore.
‘The floor is of course the strongest point, but if it cannot be used according to the philosophy, it is also the greatest weakness of the RB19. The ride height is very sensitive. This is the case for all ground effect cars. But the RB19 is relatively strong because it can drive very low without experiencing any disadvantages, such as porpoising or a floor that touches the road surface too much.’ The analyst also says that it remains to be seen whether Red Bull will also experience problems this weekend.
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