‘Finding it a bit crazy’… Sergio Perez shares what challenge he’s currently dealing with in Las Vegas

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Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez has admitted that the time zone change in Las Vegas is making preparing for the race particularly difficult.

Perez was speaking to the press, via Sky Sports F1, ahead of the final North American F1 race of the season.

The drivers are going to have to deal with a lot of unusual changes this weekend.

For starters, the media interest in this Grand Prix is going to be unlike anything they’ve experienced.

Formula 1’s American owners Liberty Media will be desperate for the event to be a success given they’ve personally funded the promotion of the event.

F1 already races in Miami and Austin but a successful Grand Prix in Las Vegas could be the key to breaking America.

The race is also going to be the coldest event of the season by quite some distance making it a challenging event for the drivers as they try to get their tyres up to temperatures.

It’s also going to be the latest starting race in F1 history with lights out at 10 pm on Saturday evening.

Sergio Perez admitted functioning in a different time zone as he puts it is going to be very difficult.

Qualifying will finish at 1 am local time on Saturday if there are no stoppages.

It’s another unique part of the race weekend that qualifying and the race will technically take place on the same day.

Perez admits Las Vegas ‘time zone’ is a challenge

Asked about his previous visits to the city, Perez said: “I’ve come here many times before so I know my way well around this place.

“It’s obviously very different and especially the time zone, well it’s not too dissimilar to when I was here before!

“But, I’m finding it a bit crazy to stay awake for so long at night, it’s quite a challenge to stay awake for so long.”

Given how late the race is, it’s no surprise that the specialized Las Vegas time zone is making it difficult for Perez and his rivals.

The race is so late in the day that drivers will be adapting their sleep schedules to deal with it.

It’s also going to affect the temperature of the track as all running will be done when the sun’s gone down.

With the walls rushing towards him at 200 miles per hour, Perez will certainly be very awake once he’s in the car and attempting to get one over his teammate for the first time in months.