LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With a little over a month until Race Day in Las Vegas, Channel 13 is diving into the different types of races ahead of the main event.
Our Johnny Resendiz breaks down how you can tell when F1 drivers are just warming up or going all out, so you can enjoy the big race to the fullest.
Contrary to the names, practice and qualifying events can have a deep influence on who makes the podium and who may end up at the bottom of the race.
On Thursday, Nov. 16, drivers and their teams will take to the track for some warm-up laps. This is a chance for teams to form strategies for the race, as well as assess each car to see how well they run.
While it may be a chance to get a few laps in, Las Vegas Grand Prix officials have said this first round will mean a little more than it has in previous races since none of the racers know what to expect with this new track.
"The first session is going to be very challenging and very exciting at the same time because the drivers are going to be trying to find what are the limits of the car," Sylvia Bellot, the Las Vegas Grand Prix Senior Director of Sporting and Race Operations, said. "Because we are In a street circuit, the limit is, unfortunately, sometimes, a wall."
The next day, Friday, Nov. 17, is what's known as the Qualifying Race, which will determine where each driver will start during the main event. On this day, the goal is simple: each driver, one at a time, will go one lap around the track as fast as they can, and the fastest one will get the coveted "pole position," or the car that sits in the first position on the grid.
Qualifying is broken up into three sessions. During which, the slowest drivers from the first session will make up the back of the grid in positions 16 through 20, while the fastest drivers in the third session will make up positions 1 through 10 on the grid.
Once that's all settled, all that's left is race day on Saturday, Nov. 18, which starts at 10 p.m. If you're wondering about the length of the race, don't expect it to last too long.
A Formula 1 race is not allowed to exceed 2 hours. If it does, the driver in the lead at that time takes first place.
If you're unable to watch the main events on Race Day, the earlier events may be worth checking out — because those events have the potential to completely change the race even before it starts.
Countdown to F1 content is sponsored by Sim Coaches.
