Formula 1: How Las Vegas combines the best of F1 tracks
By Ian Higgins
Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix features: No. 3 – Switchback start
Inspiration: Bahrain, China, Malaysia
An iconic staple of any Hermann Tilke-designed circuit is the switchback start. This design feature resides in some form on all of his creations and has a unique iteration for its appearance in Las Vegas.
Rather than the rhythmic back and forth of sweeping corners incorporating camber, Tilke has opted for a sharp first hairpin leading into a gentle flick before swinging back to the right for the first DRS zone.
This concept has proven exceptional for on-track racing, as proven just a few weeks ago in the first round of the 2022 season between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in Bahrain. This design finds its own voice with a heavy braking zone into a tight hairpin which will encourage brutal bouts for the inside line and car positioning into the detection point.
What will be a determining factor in this iteration’s success will be what kind of run the driver on the outside line can get entering turn three for an overtaking opportunity at turn five. What could kill the flow of racing in this section of track though is an overpowered DRS zone which discourages drivers from launching moves up the inside of turn one.