Formula One returns this weekend as the ten teams travel to Austin for the US Grand Prix.
Both championship contenders in Red Bull and Mercedes had a successful weekend in Turkey with Valtteri Bottas securing his first victory of the year, whilst Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez took the other two positions on the podium.
Lewis Hamilton fought to finish fifth in Turkey after starting from the midfield due to a penalty. The seven-time world champion will only have eyes for the top of the podium in Austin to narrow the six-point gap to title rival Verstappen.
Ferrari had a fantastic weekend in Istanbul with Carlos Sainz in particular standing out after being voted driver of the day. The Italian team have had 10 race wins in the US GP which is more than any other constructor.
McLaren will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing weekend in Turkey which saw Lando Norris finish in seventh and Daniel Ricciardo in 13th.
The last time the papayas won a race on this circuit was in 2012, it was Lewis Hamilton who got the victory, which went down as his final race win for McLaren before he made the move to Mercedes.
Pierre Gasly put on a fantastic display in Istanbul for Alpha Tauri, finishing FP3 with the quickest time and qualifying in fourth. The Frenchman has formed an excellent partnership with teammate Yuki Tsunoda this year, with both drivers regularly finishing in the points positions.
George Russell and Sebastian Vettel both look likely to start from the back of the grid for their respective teams as Williams and Aston Martin fit new power units to their cars. The experience of Vettel could prove to be crucial as he fights his way into the points positions, especially as he has already completed the most overtakes so far this season.
Kimi Raikkonen’s last race victory came in the 2018 US Grand Prix. The Alfa Romeo driver has a wealth of experience with the circuit which he will look to utilise in his final trip to Austin as a driver. His rival, Fernando Alonso has never won at the Circuit of the Americas but will put his experience to good use as he looks to gain the points for Alpine.
Haas are the only team that are yet to gain a point this year and sit rock bottom of the constructor’s standings. Mick Schumacher managed to get through to Q2 for the first time in his career in Istanbul, qualifying in 14th.
However, Schumacher and his teammate Nikita Mazepin both finished the race at the back of the grid. Haas will look to use the advantage of their home Grand Prix in order to get some points on the board.
For more Formula One content click here.
For more sports content click here.
