The F1 Las Vegas GP has one of the longest straights on the calendar. This allowed the cars to reach high top speeds while driving along the Las Vegas Strip. Carlos Sainz managed to get the highest speed on the track which was just a few mph of the all-time record.
Although the Las Vegas GP weekend was off to a rocky start, it turned out to be an entertaining race at the end. While Max Verstappen took the victory, Charles Leclerc managed to finish 2nd after a last-lap overtake on Sergio Perez. However, none of these drivers were able to take the top speed on the circuit. Carlos Sainz was able to do so with the help of a slipstream and DRS down the Las Vegas strip. He reached a speed of 227 miler per hour.
The straight that goes down the Las Vegas strip is 1.2 miles long. It is easily one of the longest on the calendar. However, it is not the longest. The longest straight on the calendar comes in Azerbaijan. The pit straight on the streets of Baku is 1.3 miles long.
Sainz reached 366km/h during the #LasVegasGP 🤯
Tiny wings➕High altitude➕Long Straight➕Frequent tows and DRS➡️Mind-blowing top speeds!🚀
HAM reached 364km/h: reducing the ride height got rid of the high drag Mercedes faced in Brazil👌📈
Share with your F1-friends!🤩#F1 pic.twitter.com/6iyPMR2Yr6
— Formula Data Analysis (@FDataAnalysis) November 20, 2023
Carlos Sainz himself had a tough but successful race in Las Vegas. Starting P12 behind Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez, he dropped down to the last position after an incident on the first corner. The Spaniard fought his way back and finished 6th ahead of both the Mercedes cars. This helped out the team as they are chasing Mercedes for 2nd place in the WCC.
With only 1 race to go, Ferrari is only 4 points behind Mercedes. Given the momentum of the Prancing Horse, it seems likely that Ferrari will outscore Mercedes to take 2nd place. Both teams will be going all out during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.
Which F1 driver has the all-time top-speed record?
The fastest-ever speed recorded in F1 history came during the 2016 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas was the driver to record this speed in the Williams. He managed to do so by getting a slipstream from one of the Red Bulls ahead of him. Given the slipstream and the effect DRS has on the cars, Valtteri Bottas managed to reach a top speed of 234 miles per hour. This was 7 mph higher than the speed Carlos Sainz managed in Las Vegas.
Back in 2016, the cars were a lot smaller and lighter. This made it easier for the engine to push the car. In Azerbaijan, the teams usually run on low downforce setting due to the long straight. This reduces the overall drag of the car allowing it to reach higher speed easily.
🇦🇿🇬🇧During qualifying for the 2016 race, Valtteri Bottas of Williams set an unofficial record for the highest ever #speed recorded in an #F1 car at 378 km/h. #AzerbaijanGP #AzerbaijanGrandPrix #BakuGP #baku #Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/q9fvH3vqpw
— Parviz Rahimli (@P_Rahimli) June 11, 2022
The DRS has made overtaking easier for F1 cars. Before the 2010 season, there was no DRS. So the drivers had to make overtakes only with slipstream and skill. However, Formula 1 is constantly making changes in the sport to make it easier for the drivers to overtake. This usually makes it more entertaining for the fans.
In 2026, the cars are expected to get lighter and smaller. So there is a chance that the F1 cars then will be able to break the record set by Valtteri Bottas in the Williams. It will be interesting to see how the F1 cars change for the 2026 season and which teams are on top for the Championship battle.