Verstappen says tyre warm-up will decide Red Bull's Las Vegas form

Max Verstappen has identified tyre warm-up in the cold Las Vegas conditions as the key factor for Red Bull ahead of the grand prix. Track temperatures are expected to be between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius across the sessions, making tyre behaviour difficult to predict. The smooth street surface tends to cause sliding, leading to graining and uneven core temperatures rather than the heat build-up seen on grippier circuits.

Verstappen, who won last year's race from second on the grid, said he had no idea whether Red Bull would be the team to beat. "I have no idea because Vegas is so different and so difficult for everyone to understand," he said. He also highlighted the long straight, where he expects to need to tuck in to gain top speed, and said energy management on it will be very difficult under this year's rules.

Verstappen added that Red Bull has traditionally not been strong on low-grip, cold-track layouts, and that getting the tyres to work will be the key to the weekend.