Y’all ready? Formula 1 has flung from East to West for its annual trip to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas for the United States Grand Prix, where the destination of this year's title could be decided. Motorsport Week previews this weekend's event and provides the key statistics.
History
The first World Championship United States Grand Prix was held at Sebring in 1959 and, after a year at Riverside, set up camp at the picturesque Watkins Glen track.
The New York venue eventually dropped off the calendar in the early 1980s and the US Grand Prix was only briefly revived from 1989 to 1991 for a wildly unsuccessful stint at Phoenix.
Indianapolis was selected as the new venue from 2000, incorporating a section of the famous oval, and it initially proved relatively popular.
But the Michelin tyre fiasco of 2005 proved the turning point and only two more Formula 1 Grands Prix were held at the circuit.
That led to another absence until in 2012 Formula 1 returned to the country at a new purpose-built venue, the Circuit of the Americas, located on the fringes of Austin, Texas.
While those six tracks can lay claim to having held the United States Grand Prix, Formula 1 has raced elsewhere in the country under different event guises.
The iconic Long Beach street circuit hosted the United States Grand Prix West from 1976 to 1983, while an unpopular event in Caesars Palace was held in 1981 and 1982.
A street track in Detroit was used from 1982 through 1988, while Dallas hosted a Grand Prix in 1984 that was littered with problems almost from start to finish.
It meant that Formula 1 visited the country three times in 1982 – though none of the races were held under the United States Grand Prix title!
The Indianapolis 500 was also part of the calendar from 1950 through 1960.
Circuit
The lengthy circuit tests several different elements of Formula 1 machinery – and its defining landmark is surely the steep rise to Turn 1.
From there drivers plunge back downhill and into a sequence of medium to high-speed flicks reminiscent of Maggots/Becketts at Silverstone, or the Esses from Suzuka.
The undulating section opens into a short straight and a hairpin that leads into the lengthy back straight, which provides the best overtaking opportunity of the lap.
A fiddly stadium section follows, after which is another showpiece – the quadruple apex Turn 18, a knock off of Istanbul Park’s Turn 8 – while the deceptively tricky left-hand Turn 19 has caught out more than one driver.
“Austin is a small town but the vibe is great,” says Force India’s Sergio Perez. “It’s a college town so you see a lot of young people and it’s a great environment to be in. The place comes alive at night and there are so many nice things to do and places to go, so I really like it.
“The Circuit of the Americas is very enjoyable. It’s a very interesting circuit and it has some very challenging parts, especially the first sector. Turn 1 is really unusual and it’s the corner I enjoy the most: it’s very hard to pick your braking point and not miss the blind apex. The Esses that follow make this sector really fun to drive. Last year was the first time we got to try it with the high downforce cars and I’m looking forward to having another go this weekend.
“The circuit layout has a bit of everything so a balanced set-up is the key to doing well. There are slow and fast corners, tough braking zones and you need a car you can trust.”
What happened in 2017?
Lewis Hamilton followed up pole position with a relatively comfortable win, having fended off a brief threat from ailing title rival Sebastian Vettel.
Max Verstappen boldly passed Kimi Raikkonen for third on the final lap but was sanctioned after stewards deemed he cut the Turn 18 apex, leaving Raikkonen on the podium.
Hamilton’s victory was his fourth in a row at the United States Grand Prix, fifth at Austin, and sixth overall, having triumphed at Indianapolis’ swansong in 2007.
Should Hamilton triumph this weekend it would be only the second time in Formula 1 history that the same driver has won five successive Grands Prix in one location, after Ayrton Senna’s Monaco streak from 1989 through 1993.
Hamilton’s sixth US GP win moved him clear of Michael Schumacher, who scored five wins at Indianapolis (2000, 2003 – 06).
Of the current grid, only Vettel has savoured success in the United States, having cruised to victory during his dominant spell in the second half of 2013.
Vettel and Hamilton are, though, level on Austin pole positions, with two apiece; Hamilton’s 2007 Indianapolis effort nonetheless leaves him in front on overall US GP pole positions.
Other details
Hamilton heads to Austin 67 points clear of Vettel in the standings in the wake of his fourth successive win in Japan.
Hamilton will wrap up the 2018 title should he out-score Vettel by eight points – and there are an array of permutations as to how this can be achieved.
In the Constructors’ battle Mercedes holds a 78-point advantage over Ferrari, after the two teams placed 1-2 and 5-6 respectively at Suzuka.
Tyre supplier Pirelli has nominated the Ultrasoft (purple), Supersoft (red) and Soft (yellow) compounds.
Either the Supersoft or Soft tyres must be run for one stint of the 56-lap Grand Prix, assuming dry conditions prevail.
There will be two DRS zones: one located on the pit straight and another placed on the kilometre-long back straight.
A trio of Formula 2 drivers will be in action during the opening practice session.
Nicholas Latifi will have another run for Force India while Toro Rosso affiliate Sean Gelael is set for his first FP1 outing of 2018.
2019 McLaren F1 racer Lando Norris will again get behind the wheel of the team’s MCL33.
Weather forecast:
Friday: Rain showers, 21°c
Saturday: Rain showers, 20°c
Sunday: Sunny spells, 20°c
Timetable: (GMT-5)
Friday 19 October
FP1: 10:00 – 11:30
FP2: 14:00 – 15:30
Saturday 20 October
FP3: 13:00 – 14:00
Qualifying: 16:00 – 17:00
Sunday 21 October
Race: 13:10 (56 laps or two hours)
What next?
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will host the 19th round of the season, the Mexican Grand Prix, from October 26 to 28
