George Russell expects Formula 1’s new Las Vegas street circuit will be a caveat for “good racing'” but thinks it won’t be the “most exciting” to drive.
Las Vegas will join the F1 calendar next year after striking a long-term race deal, bringing the series back to the city for the first time since 1982.
The 6.116km circuit will be a completely different version to that used in the 1981 and 1982 races, which was run on the Caesers Palace car park, as drivers will race on the iconic Vegas Strip.
It will feature several long straights and 17 corners that is set to make the layout among the fastest on the schedule, but since its unveiling back in March, organisers have added a new complex to the track from the previous iteration.
Having sampled the Las Vegas circuit for the first time at F1’s launch event, Russell believes that while it will provide a lot of on-track action, it is unlikely to be a challenging track from a driving perspective.
“It’s never simple driving a Formula 1 car around a circuit that’s as fast as this,” said Russell, as quoted by RaceFans.
“I don’t think this is going to probably be the most exciting one to drive.
“But for you guys watching I feel like this race is designed for good racing, for overtakes, good racing, entertainment. And I think the Sunday for us is going to be super-exciting. But to be honest, I don’t really care as long as we’re at the front.”
Las Vegas will be one of three races to be held in the United States next season, joining the Circuit of the Americas and Miami, marking the first time a country has hosted three grand prix’s in one year since 1982.
F1’s popularity in America has boomed the past few years with the success the Drive to Survive series of Netflix, and Haas team principal Gunther Steiner reckons the series will continue to win over the US audience.
“I think there is more room for growth,” Steiner said. “After seeing this one, I don’t know where we go with it, but I think we’ll have a fantastic event here next year.
“We have got three races in the United States now, next year. When you think back here, only three or four years ago, there was one race and it wasn’t sure if it [would] continue. Now we’ve got three very solid races, so I think it’s in a good way in the United States.”
The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix will stage the penultimate round of the 2023 F1 season, taking place on November 18.
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