Key attribute pinpointed which will win the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

That’s the prediction from Sky Sports’ F1 experts after watching an intriguing qualifying on the brand-new track.

Charles Leclerc will start on pole - ahead of Max Verstappen and George Russell - while Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez were among the victims of the troublesome new circuit.

Tyres and temperature have been a recurring theme, and dealing with those issues will be critical for whoever succeeds in the grand prix.

“Probably going to come down to patience, it sounds like,” Danica Patrick said. 

“All the drivers are talking about graining on the tyres - when you lose it, it’s gone. 

“So, it’s whoever has the most discipline to just be patient and not over-drive, which is an easy thing to do especially when you start the race and having pressure behind you. 

“Whoever has the best straight-line speed will have the most comfort. 

“They will be able to get their exit themselves and stay ahead. Patience is probably what’s going to save them.”

Jenson Button said: “To stop front-right graining, you push that tyre less. 

“You go through a stage, then it’s fine to push it harder. 

“But while everyone’s doing that, there’s going to be one or two who thinks ‘I can make up a few places!’ 

“Fernando Alonso comes to mind, and a few others! 

“It’s going to be a real mixed bag.

“George Russell hasn’t run the hard tyre yet, and they think they might run it in the race. 

“They have to think of their feet. Strategists are going to be working flat-out!”

Button accepted that the tricky track conditions have made life a nightmare for F1 teams this weekend so far.

“It’s really difficult,” he said after watching Mercedes and Red Bull, among other, suffer during qualifying. 

“Some drivers can, some cars can, it’s all up in the air. I love it! We all love this, apart from the teams and drivers.

“Interestingly, when I watch Leclerc’s lap, it does sound like he’s overlapping at the end of the braking. 

“He’s at top speed, it sounds like he’s braking on throttle a little bit, which raises the temperature of the tyres and the brakes before he hits them really hard. 

“It will be interesting to hear. It might just be the sound…”