The much-awaited Las Vegas Grand Prix of 2023 has been marred with numerous hurdles that upset the three-time World Champion Max Verstappen. The first one occurred during the practice session Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz hit a manhole lid which led to an unanticipated halt of FP1.
This incident upset the fans as they were shown their way out before FP2 could start. After the Spaniard received a grid penalty for the incident, it had a great impact on the starting grid line-up on Sunday.
An unexpected turn of events occurred at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix pre-race driver’s parade when the parade vehicles of Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, and Charles Leclerc accidentally leaked oil, making the track slippery.
This accident may have presented difficulties for some of the drivers. Interestingly, a car that was part of the driver’s procession leaked oil just in front of Max Verstappen’s official starting place.
Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc’s Parade cars have broken down and leaked a lot of oil on the track.
This could be a disadvantage for those starting on the left side of the track, most notably Max Verstappen.
[picture: @tgruener]#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/r2Mh5xRd0D
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) November 19, 2023
Drivers on the left side of the grid, including as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who started from positions P2 and P10, respectively, may find this oil leak to be a disadvantage.
Oscar Piastri’s vehicle was found to be the cause of the oil leak. The Red Bull Racing driver, who had earlier stated that he would have preferred to start one position farther back, was obviously upset by this situation.
Max Verstappen highlights Red Bull’s disadvantage in the Las Vegas GP against Ferrari
Red Bull and Ferrari were embroiled in an intense weekend-long battle at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. With all of the uncertainty that had occurred all through the qualifying rounds, the result of the next race remained a mystery.
FormulaPassion stated that Red Bull driver Max Verstappen displayed his concerns about a fundamental error in the RB19 that may tilt the scales in favor of the Prancing Horse team.
Max Verstappen took over 2 minutes to fully explain his issues with the Las Vegas GP and it really shows how much he lives & breathes motorsports.
Every fan and F1/Liberty Media executive should watch this. Everything he said is 100% correct. pic.twitter.com/cchI663AaC
— Dan’s DRS Zone (@F1GuyDan) November 18, 2023
According to the Dutchman, “The track, with that type of corners, is not good for our car. The same happened in Singapore and here. Low-speed corners and heavy braking are not suitable for our car, just as dips and potholes are not for us. This is why we are behind on the flying lap.” Because of the lengthy straightaways and much room for tactical moves, the Las Vegas circuit made Verstappen aware of possible problems with tire degradation.
The Red Bull driver might have a great chance to take advantage of this unusual scenario and pass the Scuderia all through the race. In that kind of situation, the Monegasque would need to drive aggressively from the start of the race, relying not only on his steering abilities. Nonetheless, viewers may expect an exciting show in the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, considering the RB19’s apparent lack of speed.