With the Las Vegas Grand Prix inching closer every day, fans are getting more and more excited. One of the most exciting things about the new F1 track is the long straight, This has led fans to wonder if this is the longest straight on the F1 calendar.
There is no doubt that the Las Vegas straight is one of the longest on the F1 calendar. As a result, we can expect to see some interesting overtakes at the end of this corner. While the DRS zones are yet to be announced, the track has the capability to have 4 DRS zones. However, the one on the long straight is everything but confirmed.
While the straight on the Las Vegas Street Circuit is long at 1.18 miles, it is not the longest on the calendar. There are tracks with much longer straights that have proven to be powerful for overtaking. Judging by the layout of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, we can expect quite a few overtakes during the race, especially if the grid order is a little bit mixed.
Hold on to your butts! POV of F1 on the Las Vegas Strip. #LasVegasGP #LasVegas pic.twitter.com/DZVEP8PKKV
— Life in Las Vegas (@LifeNLasVegas) October 26, 2023
Over the years, we have seen a great many battles between 2 drivers. During the turbo-hybrid era, we have seen quite a few in Bahrain. In 2014, we saw Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg exchange the lead lap after lap. In 2021, we saw an exciting battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The next year we saw a similar show between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
Will the Las Vegas Grand Prix go on to become one such track that gives us great battles every year? Only time will tell. The Grand Prix is expected to take place on 19th November. It is safe to say that the teams and drivers cannot wait for their showing on the streets of Vegas.
Which F1 circuit has the longest straight?
While Las Vegas does not have the longest straight on the calendar, the question has to be asked; Which track has the longest straight on the F1 calendar? Some fans must have guessed it, it is Azerbaijan. The Baku Street Circuit has a pit straight that is 1.36 miles long. As a result, we have seen a great many overtakes occurring at the end of the straight.
Overtake #145:
Valtteri Bottas on Lance Stroll (2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix) pic.twitter.com/bNpNsZr1El— OvertakeCentral (@OvertakeCentral) December 7, 2022
Although this long straight keeps the race interesting for the spectators, it is actually quite boring for the drivers. Formula 1 drivers like to drive around circuits where there are a lot of twists and turns. An example of a track every driver likes is Suzuka. The first sector of Suzuka has a lot of elevation changes and at the same time, swerves left and right. While this does not provide with too many overtaking opportunities, it is great fun for the drivers.
Looking at the Las Vegas circuit, it does not seem like a track that will be enjoyed by the drivers. Instead, it looks like a track that can provide good overtaking opportunities. However, we are yet to see how the narrowness of the track affects the chances of overtaking. It will be interesting to see how drivers tackle the narrowness of the streets in Vegas.