Las Vegas Gamble to Pay Off as a Lando win is on the cards?

By Joe Murphy

This weekend’s Grand Prix from Las Vegas is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated race of the season to date. The championships are sewn up and Checo should see off Lewis to confirm P2 in the standings. But who will win the showcase race? And will it be any good?

Race to shine like a Diamond…

The Grand Prix itself should look nothing short of spectacular. Much like Monaco, the aesthetics are there for a visually impressive event. The only debate is whether that will correspond to excellent racing on the track. This event has had it’s problems and controversy in the build up, but the unknown element means the surprises could be with us all weekend. F1 decided to twist with Las Vegas, not stick to just two American races, let’s see if it’s as successful as the others.

Checo fans to have Hearts broken…

Sergio Perez cannot afford to have another poor race. He did well in Brazil, but finishing behind Fernando Alonso would have hurt the Mexican. A poor showing here really could put the final nail in the coffin for his chances at a Red Bull drive next season. Something which looked so assured a matter of months ago, is now under heavy scrutiny. There isn’t many slots in F1, so this is a potentially career defining weekend for Checo.

Lando to join the Winners Club?

It’s still a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’. Lando Norris was the only person to challenge Max Verstappen in anyway last time out and had the Dutchman not been in such perilous form this season, then the McLaren would have won at least one race by now. There would not be a better race to do it in, with all eyes on the sport more than ever. Maybe McLaren should roll the dice on an ambitious undercut.

Alpine need a Spade to dig a strong result out…

Alpine need some points from this race. Ever since the new investment consortium were announced, the team have struggled to compete and are now not in the top five teams in terms of pace. Whilst a podium mag be a bridge too far, there’s no reason why a circuit such as this could not provide opportunities to both Estaban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. Whether Alpine roll the dice and strike it lucky, remains to be seen.