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Tyres NorthamptonThe Circuit of the Americas is where the action begins for the United States GP on Sunday in the first of two racing tripleheaders. And if you missed seeing the drivers duel on track, there's even a Sprint on Saturday to make up for lost time.
Whether the downward-sliding Max Verstappen can halt Lando Norris' and McLaren's advance and retain P1 in the championship is the story to unfold over the remaining six rounds. The pair will race against each other for the crown in nine more races, thanks to F1's short-form Sprint races featuring in the USA, Brazil, and Qatar. A few more poor weekends for Verstappen, who hasn't won since June, could see one of F1's most unlikely title turnarounds in history.
Seeing whether the ever-changing 2024 pecking order of teams is the same as in the last Grand Prix Singapore will reveal what's to come over the next races. With Mexico City and Sao Paulo coming up right after Austin, there's little chance for car development after the Austin trip. With such a relentless pace, any advancement by Red Bull or McLaren could change the course of the championship.
From a track perspective, the resurfacing work that the Texan circuit began undertaking in 2022 has had further refinement. Drivers have complained over the bumpy surface for much of COTA's time in F1, and efforts have continued to minimise the problem. A new surface means new grip characteristics for teams and drivers to understand, too. With only one Free Practice session before Sprint Qualifying, that's not much time to learn.
Finally, there's the little matter of another mid-season driver change. Following Franco Colapinto stepping in Logan Sargeant's seat in Italy, Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo at RB for the remainder of the season. The New Zealander impressed many over 2023 when he parachuted in for his debut after Ricciardo injured his wrist during the Dutch GP weekend. Ricciardo's career has circled the F1 drain since McLaren ripped up his contract in 2022, and it now seems to be over for good.
Pirelli is offering the C2, C3, and C4 compounds for the USGP. This middle-of-the-road selection should handle the track's mixture of high-speed corners in the first two sectors and the slow-speed final third.
A single FP1 session means the drivers must use the Sprint and two qualifying sessions to grasp how long the tyres will last on the resurfaced circuit in the 56-lap Grand Prix. Fortunately for them, the weather forecast shows virtually no chance of rain, meaning one fewer complication to deal with.
McLaren and Norris had the upper hand before the break, but Verstappen was much closer than he had been since the summer. Unlike the mandatory summer shutdown, the team's factories have been operational over the past three weekends. That's plenty of time to make performance gains, but there's a fine balance between improving the current season's car and getting a head start on the design for next season or beyond.
2024 is far from a Norris and Verstappen show, however. The past eight races have seen five winners, with Norris taking two triumphs and Verstappen winless. Oscar Piastri might be the standout name for many fans after the young Aussie beat his more experienced teammate in Hungary and Azerbaijan. He should've won in Italy, too, if not for a questionable McLaren strategy. Seeing whether Piastri will place second fiddle to Norris to help the Brit's plight for the championship is another intriguing subplot to watch.
Of course, Mercedes and Ferrari also have secured victories in recent months. The silver and scarlet teams can seemingly come from nowhere to leapfrog McLaren and Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton has the most United States GP wins of any driver (six) in F1 history, so he'll hope that helps in his final Austin appearance for Mercedes. Equally, Ferrari are the record holder for constructors wins with 10 P1 finishes, though only one has come at COTA
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It'll be dark out when you watch F1 over the weekend. The race itself has lights out at 8 PM on Sunday, while Qualifying begins on Saturday at 11 PM, with Sprint a little earlier at 7 PM.
Sprint - On air: 6 PM, Session start: 7 PM Saturday 19th October
Qualifying – On air: 10 PM, Session start: 11 PM Saturday 19th October
Race – On air: 6:30 PM, Session start: 8 PM Sunday 20th October
Sprint & Qualifying – Highlights: 8 AM Sunday 20th October
Race – Highlights: 12:50 AM, repeated at 9:35 AM Monday 21st October
Qualifying/Race – Glorious weather awaits those in Austin for the weekend. Highs of 29°C and sunny conditions should keep the Texas heat on the drivers for their return to the track.