United States: The Hits and Misses from the Editorial Team

The top 3

Kimi Räikkönen, the return to business

Finally! 5 years, 7 months, and 5 days later, Iceman » broke his bad streak by finding his way back to victory in Austin. The most awarded Finnish driver (21 wins, one more than Mika Hakkinen) took advantage of yet another unfortunate series for Vettel, penalized in free practice, to climb to the front row. But the credit mostly goes to him, finishing nine thousandths behind his teammate at the end of Q3. In the race, the 2007 world champion had an admirable start with a daring maneuver on Lewis Hamilton towards the first turn. He also didn’t fall into the trap of the Virtual Safety Car at the 11th turn, unlike his direct rival, a rare feat worth highlighting. His strong defense against the Mercedes driver before his first pit stop allowed him to gain precious time, forcing others to re-enter the pits. A great race full of composure and a last hurrah for a charismatic driver at the wheel of a top team.

Max Verstappen, the crazy ascent

A climb from P18 to P2! The young Red Bull wolf spiced up this race in his own way by employing an alternative tire strategy. Once again, with an impressive first lap, he gained eight places. His duel with Hamilton, side by side for four corners, will also be a highlight of this 2018 edition. Scuderia Ferrari thanks him: Hamilton and Mercedes aren’t champions yet, also due to his stubbornness. Due to Ricciardo’s engine failures, Verstappen carries his team with a third podium in four races. And the best might be yet to come in Mexico next week on a circuit that could favor the RB14.

The Renault Sport F1 Team, a nice grouped shot

Hülkenberg 6th and Sainz 7th: the French team dominated the battle of the others, and it also deserved to be highlighted. Carlos Sainz didn’t even suffer from his penalty for overtaking outside the track limits at the first corner. The team with the diamond logo scores its best collective result of the season, all while staying a minute thirty from the winner. Enough to put into perspective the road still to travel to reach the top. In the meantime, the fourth place in the constructors’ championship remains to be defended until the end of the season. With a 22-point lead over the Haas F1 Team, the horizon is clear.

“Today shows us what we can achieve if we all work as a team.”
Read what our drivers and Cyril Abiteboul have to say after their #USGP. 👇 https://t.co/SVzLw6hqLa #RSspirit pic.twitter.com/XrmJr10E1e — Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) October 21, 2018

Sebastian Vettel, the perpetual frustration

Another potential victory slipped away for the Scuderia Ferrari driver. His silly mistake under the red flag in free practice cost him the front row, and his failed overtaking move on Ricciardo at Turn 12 cost him the podium. Once again, the four-time world champion drove excessively by not wanting to give up his position. Result: a fall to fifteenth place and a renewed effort to catch up. His attack on Bottas at the end of the race at least salvaged some honor. Next week, Vettel won’t be able to do much against Hamilton, who is very close to the crown. But the German risks losing much more than a title. His confidence has been clearly shaken since his off-track excursion at Hockenheim.

Vettel’s race and title hopes were almost over before the end of Lap 1 👀 #USGP 🇺🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/o13JaOxub8

— Formula 1 (@F1) 21 octobre 2018

Romain Grosjean, the other waste of the weekend

The Haas driver had nonetheless demonstrated his consistency on Saturday by making it into an eleventh consecutive Q3. Unfortunately, his collision with Leclerc on Sunday, right in the first lap, will be remembered. The situation is all the more troubling as he is now just two penalty points away from a suspension for a Grand Prix. Significant points were within his reach. A shame for the team’s home race. The Frenchman must finish his season in the best possible way to ensure negativity doesn’t prevail.

Grosjean escapes race ban after penalty for Leclerc clash> https://t.co/VDnh6Pbvkn #USGP 🇺🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Qm6eSAa6PJ

— Formula 1 (@F1) 21 October 2018

McLaren, the way of the cross

How long this end of season is for the Woking team. Unable to get out of Q1, Alonso and Vandoorne didn’t bring any points back from Texas. This situation illustrates a hellish second half of the season, with just one entry into the points in the last five races. The flop also reflects Alonso’s frustration, bordering on bad faith. Caught in the melee of the first lap, the Spaniard made another scathing remark by asserting that there are more amateurs in Formula 1 than in other championships, notably thinking of the WEC, his new destination with Toyota. Meanwhile, Stoffel Vandoorne achieved what he considered the maximum, a 13th place on the track, only ahead of an injured Toro Rosso and the two Williams cars. The sixth place in the constructors’ standings against Racing Point Force India is clearly in danger. Looking forward to 2019 for McLaren. “They played bowling again with my car, like they did in Spa” 🎳

Alonso didn’t hold back in his criticism. #USGP 🇺🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Do472Tfzpl — Formula 1 (@F1) 22 October 2018