Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
Lando Norris fears potential 'scary times' at the Las Vegas Grand Prix for drivers if they can't get their tyres up to temperature in the cold conditions.
The McLaren driver claimed his third victory of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix on a cold and wet weekend at Interlagos.
Speaking in the post-race press conference, Norris pointed out there was not much difference between the current and previous generation of cars when it comes to managing tyres in wet conditions. However, he warned that the tyres could prove more difficult to warm up than in the cold conditions in Las Vegas.
“I wouldn’t say it’s that different. Honestly, it’s not too bad. When the tyres get cold, it’s pretty nasty. On the laps to the grid, when the tyres are very cold, it feels horrible. If they get into a good window, they are good,” he explained.
"I think the scary times are if you go to Vegas and you can't get any tyre temperature, you need a much better tyre than what we have here because that's just going to be horrible."
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Norris described Interlagos as one of the best circuits on the Formula 1 calendar in terms of getting the tyres up to temperature easily, but predicts his comments about Las Vegas won't be the same.
He added: "I think there was a few times you saw aquaplaning a lot, and that's still the nastiest thing you can have when you're just completely out of control. But after you go around and everyone knows where that risk is, of course, then the puddles start to clear a little bit and then it is suddenly fine."
"It's always risky. It just depends on how much risk we are forced to take or the FIA want to take. But I think they made good decisions this weekend and the tyres have performed reasonably well.
"But they're also at a track where they always perform reasonably well. I think we, like I said, go to Vegas, if it is wet there, my comments will not be the same."
Verstappen slams Pirelli tyres
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Max Verstappen was critical of Pirelli's intermediate and extreme-wet compounds after the Brazilian Grand Prix.
He said: "I think it's mainly that the working range is a bit too small. When they're hot, it's okay, but when they're cold, they're really like a rock."
"That's something that we need to try and work on, to generate a bigger working range on the Extreme Wet and the Inter," he added.
His teammate Isack Hadjar was also critical saying that despite there not being a 'crazy amount of water on the track' there was still 'too much aquaplaning'.
He added: "For me, it also seems like you have to wait a while to put the Inter on. It's like you can run it once there's no more standing water and you can go at it. So, in a way, I feel like the compounds are a bit stiffer, harder than they used to be. I think we would all have a bit more fun with more grip, and I think there were times in qualifying where the very first three laps in Q1 were quite dangerous."
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