LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas valley has seen an especially wet week with rain in every day of the forecast as we gear up for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
With that in mind, there has been one question swirling as we get closer to Saturday's main event:
What happens with the race if it rains? Here's what we know.
Will the race still happen if it rains?
F1 races still happen during light to moderate rainfall, but teams will change to a different kind of tire.
Channel 13 reached out to race organizers to learn what their plans are and received the following statement:
We are monitoring weather conditions closely. We will continue to provide updates and are looking forward to a great race weekend.
For 2025, new rules have been put in place for wet tires.
· Pirelli has developed new full wet tires for 2025 that are expected to be up to two seconds per lap faster, with a stiffer construction and reduced overheating.
· Each driver will be allocated one additional set of full wets for 2025.
· If a race is wet, drivers are exempt from the requirement to use at least two different slick compounds.
· A new rule for 2025 requires all drivers to make at least two pit stops in every Grand Prix, regardless of weather conditions, so each driver must use at least three sets of tires.
· A new rule clarifies how Race Control will communicate the requirement to use full wet tires.
What are the rain chances during important race times (qualifying, main event, etc.)?
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Do our lower temperatures play a factor when added to potential rain?
The cool temperatures (in the mid-to-upper 50s for all practices, qualifying, and the race) are less-than-ideal for tire traction.
Climatologically, aside from Japan in the spring, the Las Vegas race is the coldest race on the F1 calendar all year!
This is partially due to it being at night, as well as being so deep into the fall season.
Are there any well-known areas of ponding along the track that would cause any concerns?
The roadways that are part of the racetrack wouldn't normally see much ponding outside of heavy shows, similar to what we saw earlier this week. If it rained at that level, race organizers would most likely delay the race until the rain passed.
