‘Not fun to drive’: Can F1 race in the rain at Las Vegas Grand Prix?

Las Vegas is experiencing an unusual amount of rain this time of year.

While the weather has wreaked havoc on some parts of the valley, any chances of rain over the next three days should not impact the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Formula 1 cars are designed to race in the rain, and there are wet weather tires that allow for racing on a damp track in rainy conditions.

The F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix begins with two practice sessions Thursday at 4:30 and 8 p.m. Conditions should be dry for the first practice, but there is a slight chance of rain for the later session.

The previous two Las Vegas Grand Prix races have not had any weather issues. There was some unexpected rain Wednesday when drivers arrived at the track for the first time.

Four-time defending F1 champion Max Verstappen, a harsh critic of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, said at a Wednesday news conference that he isn’t looking forward to possible wet conditions.

“I prefer to just have a dry race,” he said. “It’s already hard enough, I guess, to get everything working here or understanding it. If the track floods, maybe less practice. It’s also not a bad thing.”

Two-time F1 champion and Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso shared Verstappen’s sentiments about racing in the rain in Las Vegas, saying it would be “not fun. Not fun at all.”

“(The track’s) fast, the visibility is going to be a challenge under the lights and also the grip level. It’s very low already on dry,” Alonso said. “Temperature is low, so it could be fun to watch but not fun to drive.”

Any decision to send cars out on the track is up to FIA race director Rui Marques and official stewards.

If there is too much rain, visibility could be an issue with spraying water from cars. Flooding and standing water on the track are other issues that could create unsafe conditions for cars, with drivers losing control of their cars because of hydroplaning.

That could cause a stoppage, delay or possible cancellation of any session on the track.

Also on Thursday, F1 Academy will practice at 6 p.m. and qualify at 9:30. The chances for rain are low for Friday and Saturday. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 50s for most of the on-track action.

Weather can impact other racing series, such as NASCAR, which cannot race in the rain at the 1½-mile oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway because of the track’s high speeds. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at LVMS on March 14 was stopped multiple times because of rain.

NASCAR has recently raced in the rain on road and street courses, the same type of tracks F1 races on, with rain tires, and short ovals (1 mile in length and under) because of lower speeds.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.