Red Bull go all in with eight billion laps of Las Vegas

When Max Verstappen goes to Las Vegas chasing a fourth successive Formula One title, he will be racing around a floodlit track his Red Bull team have simulated some eight billion times.

The Saturday night race on a street circuit that runs along the Nevada city's famed Strip is on Nov 23, and a win would clinch the championship for the Dutch driver with two rounds remaining.

"We run four billion simulations before we arrive at the track," said Jack Harington, Red Bull's partnerships group lead who works with software giant and title sponsor Oracle.

"And then we take the data from FP1 and FP2 (first and second practice) and introduce those into the simulations and run those four billion again."

Billion, he emphasised, not million - although not many guesses are needed on who will win the title this season, given that Verstappen is 62 points clear of McLaren's Lando Norris.

"There are always variables that are going to catch you by surprise," added Harington.