Can Verstappen be beaten in Las Vegas? 'Would be a nice win'
Max Verstappen has won 17 of the 20 Grands Prix held in 2023, making him the clear favourite for the Las Vegas Grand Prix once again. Yet Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris are hoping Red Bull Racing has a less successfull weekend in the desert.
Las Vegas will be a completely different challenge for F1 drivers and teams. The race will be held on Saturday night local time, making it very cold for an F1 race. These cold conditions, combined with a bumpy street circuit, may make Red Bull and Verstappen vulnerable in Vegas. Yet Norris is not concerned with that.
Verstappen vulnerable in Las Vegas?
"I'd just like to win. It doesn't matter where. But you don't do anything different because it's Vegas to try and win. I've been doing my best since I started Formula 1, and your time comes eventually, but that's about it." Norris said at the press conference. "Maybe [Max is more vulnerable]. If you look back to Monza, he was way quicker than everyone pretty much. Could be another Singapore-style type thing, but unlikely."
Fernando Alonso expresses a little more hope for the race weekend. "It will be nice to win a race, especially the first race in a place like this one, but I think it's unlikely that happens. I don't think that this track really is one of our favourites for our package. I guess it's going to be difficult. Don't think [Max is more vulnerable here]."