United States Grand Prix – The Best / Worst of the editorial team

The TOP 3:

1. Vettel sensational as on the first day

Since announcing his retirement, it would be an understatement to say that Sebastian Vettel is experiencing a revival and is fully thriving. And this Sunday was once again proof of that, with a race full of mastery.

Starting 10th on the grid, the German driver took advantage of the chaos in the first lap to find himself in 5th position after a superb start.

After fiercely battling against Russell and Pérez in faster cars, the Aston Martin driver smoothly executed his race and strategy to momentarily find himself in the lead of this Grand Prix due to pit stop tactics. However, after a disastrous pit stop by his team, Vettel found himself ejected from the points zone, despite legitimately being able to aim for a top 6 finish.

But the four-time world champion reminded everyone of his talent by making a series of exceptional overtakes, as evidenced by his spectacular battle and victory over Magnussen just a few corners before the checkered flag.

A huge Grand Prix which also earned him the honorary title of Driver of the Day. Well-deserved!

2. Verstappen, Hamilton, and many others… The show is definitely on in Texas!

This Sunday, Formula 1 fans were spoiled by the spectacle provided by the twenty actors of the Premier category! The mano-a-mano between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, won by the Dutchman, spiced up a colorful United States Grand Prix.

And they were not the only actors since Leclerc and Pérez, through their respective comebacks, notably made this 2022 USA Grand Prix a good vintage. We want more!

3. Alonso unperturbed and full of panache despite his aerial stunt.

It is true that we were extremely scared considering the violence of the collision between Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. When we were assured that everyone was fine, we were somewhat disappointed for both protagonists who were having an exemplary race up until then. That was without counting on the devilish Asturian Bull!

With a knife between his teeth and fresh tires, the double Spanish world champion made a magnificent comeback to the 7th position, purely through sheer strength. However, his efforts were spoiled when a 30-second penalty, imposed by the FIA after the Grand Prix, due to a torn rearview mirror, came to ruin everything. Nonetheless, the panache of the Alpine driver is simply incredible!

The FLOP 3:

1. The new disappointment for Sainz, the bill is starting to add up.

He could have greatly contributed to delaying Red Bull’s promised victory… His race lasted only one lap or even just one corner. Author of a very impressive pole position on Saturday, Carlos Sainz demonstrated that his performance level was still good, and at Ferrari, we dared to dream of a battle to prevent the Austrian brand from triumphing on Sunday.

Alas, the Spanish driver completely missed his takeoff and was harpooned by an overly optimistic George Russell at the first corner. What a loss of points for the Ferrari driver! They will need to quickly regain confidence within a depleted Scuderia.

2. Ricciardo goes even further into the abyss.

We have the impression of repeating ourselves Grand Prix after Grand Prix. But it must be said that the end of the season seems infinitely long for Daniel Ricciardo. Once again eliminated in Q1, the Australian driver was only fighting during the race with… Nicholas Latifi!

While his teammate Lando Norris was stealing the show towards the end of the race with McLaren’s surprising comeback from a lackluster performance, the internal comparison between teammates ultimately broke a worn-out Ricciardo. It’s a sad end for a driver of his caliber.

3. A weekend to forget from the French perspective.

How hard it was for our French people in American lands! Despite scoring a point thanks to his teammate Alonso’s penalty, Estéban Ocon was never able to fight for that position. Eliminated in Q1 on Saturday, the Norman set off from the pits after an engine change but it didn’t help him much on Sunday.

On Gasly’s side, a strong start to the race saw him quickly climb into the top 10 before his pace collapsed and his tires wore out at high speed. The winner of the 2020 Italian Grand Prix even got overtaken by his teammate Tsunoda towards the end of the race… Quite a struggle for the Frenchies!

And you? What were your highlights and criticisms of the United States Grand Prix?

Next round, the Mexican Grand Prix to be followed starting this Sunday, October 30th.