United States Grand Prix – Presentation and predictions from the editorial staff
For this new meeting on American soil, MotorsInside presents to you the ninth United States Grand Prix taking place in Austin and gives you its predictions.
2012, the return of a Grand Prix in the United States.
2007 was the last year the United States hosted an F1 race before the event returned to the calendar in 2012. Indianapolis is abandoned in favor of a brand new track, specifically created for Formula 1.
Like for any modern track, Hermann Tilke is at the helm. And for this Texan event, he leaves nothing to chance. He draws inspiration from some iconic turns of current circuits. Therefore, he borrows a bit from the Red Bull Ring for the first turn, from Silverstone for the fast sequence of turns 3 to 6. Further on, we find the “S” from Senna at Interlagos, then the entry into the Hockenheimring stadium is copied. Lastly, he takes on the four fast left turns of Istanbul Park. He adds a nice elevation change to the mix, the highest after Spa and Suzuka, and we get the excellent and fast layout of the Circuit of the Americas.
And the recipe works wonders since Formula 1 has been back for 9 years now, even though the loose ground on which the circuit is built requires frequent work due to the appearance of many bumps.
Pirelli offers a range of “intermediate” tires.
This layout is hilly and demanding for the drivers and their driving skills, but it is not the circuit that puts the most strain on the Pirelli tires.
The Italian manufacturer has decided to offer a range of intermediate compounds, namely C2, C3, and C4.
The editorial predictions
Following the Turkish Grand Prix, Red Bull is questioning its chances of winning the title. Indeed, the regained performance of Mercedes surprises everyone. In the editorial office, we feel the same way. Can Red Bull continue to challenge the Mercedes giant?
Clearly no, whether for pole position or victory, unanimously the writers see Lewis Hamilton as the big winner. Worse than that, it’s Valtteri Bottas who is gaining votes in the survey, and crushing Max Verstappen for second place in the race. In third place, the battle is tough between Verstappen and Norris.
It must be admitted that the statistics are edifying, and clearly speak in favor of the British driver.
In the last eight editions, Lewis Hamilton has won five while Red Bull has only won one in 2013. And the most recent winner is Valtteri Bottas.
The runoff is therefore not favorable to the outsider for this American round. However, the show will inevitably be there and promises once again a high-level battle between the two leading teams in the championship.
