The 2024 Formula One season enters its final stages with a concluding triple-header spanning North America and the Middle East, starting with the Las Vegas Grand Prix. A spectacular addition to the F1 calendar in 2023, Aston Martin Aramco Performance Director Tom McCullough previews the weekend's action in the entertainment capital of the world.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix provides the latest session start times on the F1 calendar with Free Practice Two, Qualifying and the Race all commencing at 22:00 local time, combined with a time difference to the UK of eight hours. How does the team approach this?
Tom McCullough: "It's a challenge but we're used to it and the key is preparing well by doing things like making sure you sleep at the right times, staying hydrated, and eating the right meals at the right times. Once the first session of the weekend starts, you're into your circadian rhythms and we're so beholden to the session times we just offset everything relative to that.

"I don't find it too hard because we're so busy - you've not got time to really think about tiredness. Every minute of the day you're either in a session, in a meeting, doing some analysis, writing reports; the race weekend flies by."

What did we learn about the Las Vegas Strip Circuit last year?
TM: "The most similar circuit to it is Baku. There are a lot of low-speed corners, very few high-speed corners, and it is a circuit that requires very high aerodynamic efficiency.

"There are lots of power-limited straight-line zones where your laptime comes from. Your car has got to be fast on the straights not only for laptime, but also for raceability.

"You have to strike a balance at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. You need to be fast down the straights so you try to reduce drag but, in doing so, you reduce downforce, which makes the low-speed corners more challenging.

"When braking from more than 300km/h, the driver needs confidence to hit the brakes and slow the car down, rotate it, and get back on the power again, and you need downforce for that.

"Another challenge last year was the tarmac was very new so there was very low grip, and when the tyres grained that heightened the challenge.

"The tarmac is going to have aged now, which improves the grip, and also some elements of it will have been used because it's a public road, so we're going back with the knowledge from last year and the fact that the tarmac has been there for more than 12 months.

"Hopefully it's going to provide grip levels closer to what we usually encounter and be easier to work with."

How will the team fare in Las Vegas?
TM: "I think the characteristics of the AMR24 will suit this track a bit better than some of the other tracks that we've been to recently.

"It's very close in the midfield so we need to execute everything well to challenge for points. We have a good understanding of the track and what it takes to be competitive here. The walls are close and there is a high potential for Safety Cars; we must be ready to take advantage of what unfolds over the weekend."

Racing in the Nevada desert in late autumn means we're set to face some of the coolest temperatures of the season. What challenges does this present?
TM: "Last year the track surface temperature was 18°C - the coolest of the season - and that makes it harder to get the tyres warmed up and working; we expect similar conditions this year.

"However, we know we can work around that, and the cool ambient temperature also has some benefits. For example, we can close some of the cooling vents on the car and that provides more downforce."

This is the second edition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. What were your first impressions of the circuit and event last year?
TM: "I like tracks that are different to standard circuits, as Las Vegas is, because you can make a difference operationally.

"There's a lot of jeopardy in Las Vegas: it's not easy to get the tyres working, the traffic in Qualifying is a challenge, there could be a Safety Car any lap, and the circuit is technically demanding because it is nearly all low-speed corners but you have to run low downforce because of all the straights. It all adds up to an exciting and challenging event.

"I enjoy going to new tracks and I think we got on top of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit quickly. We simulated well beforehand, we understood it well, and we had a good event as a team. I enjoyed it a lot and I'm excited to go back."