Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Friday November 22, 2024 at 2:29 p.m.
After the first two free practice sessions for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, title favorite Max Verstappen and his rival Lando Norris railed against the lack of grip in their car.
With a 62-point lead with three Grands Prix remaining, Max Verstappen can be crowned world champion this Sunday in Las Vegas for the fourth time in his career if he finishes ahead of Lando Norris (the simplest condition, but there are others). But the weekend in Nevada did not start off perfectly for the Dutchman who, like many drivers, suffered from grip problems, so much so that he only finished 17th in the second session. free practice, two seconds behind the best time set by Lewis Hamilton. But it must be said that with a temperature of around 8-9°C in the air, because the sessions take place at night, we are far from the meteorological conditions of Qatar or Singapore. After testing, the Red Bull driver could only curse his tires. “Yes, it was slippery. I think we had a lot of trouble getting the tires to work, especially on one lap. The long run started a little more competitive, but even then I think we need to fine-tune some things. The pace over a lap is quite far away. Of course, the conditions are unique here and it's very cold, but in the end it's the same for everyone, so we have to try to understand what we are doing wrong at the moment. I mean for me it's very much to do with the tires. The balance of the car isn't that bad I think, it's just that we don't have any grip – it's like driving on ice at the moment.”
Norris: “I feel like I could drive a road car faster”
Same story for his rival Lando Norris, even if he managed to secure the success by finishing in the Top 3 in both sessions: “It's very difficult, the grip is very low. I feel like I could drive a road car faster than we do now. Mixed feelings.” With qualifying and the Grand Prix starting at 10:00 p.m. local time, grip will undoubtedly be a major element of this weekend in Vegas.
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