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On Sunday, October 20, 2024, at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Travis County, near Austin, Texas, the United States Grand Prix will take place, the nineteenth race of the Formula 1 World Championship. After the previous Singapore Grand Prix, several teams complained to the FIA, suggesting that a particular team might be using a system to adjust the height of their car under Parc Fermé conditions. This practice, prohibited by regulations, could provide significant setup advantages during the transition from qualifying to the race. It is believed that a mechanism capable of acting on the T-Tray - the tray under the cockpit that aligns with the car’s floor - might be involved, potentially impacting aerodynamic load and thus improving vehicle performance. The FIA was reportedly informed of the existence of this device after the Singapore Grand Prix qualifying, and during that race, the team was instructed to maintain the setup used during the qualifying session. The team allegedly using this solution seems to be Red Bull Racing, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the World Champion team:
"The system exists, though it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to race. During numerous email exchanges with the FIA, this aspect came up, and a plan was agreed upon moving forward".
As a result, in Austin, all the talk is about this recently discovered system and the debates surrounding its use and potential performance gain. Clearly, while rival teams and drivers urge the FIA to provide further clarification, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez play down the issue, although they admit to being aware of the system's presence. Both deny its use after qualifying, effectively confirming the team's version. Max Verstappen states:
"The technical documentation on the system is open source, so all teams were aware of it because it was submitted to the FIA. For us, it was just a useful tool when the car was disassembled and easy to adjust, but once the car is fully assembled, it cannot be adjusted. So, for us, nothing changes. When I heard about this, I thought other teams were involved, but then I found out it was related to us. But we never even mentioned it during briefings".
Sergio Perez was aware of the system but also denies using it in races:
"I knew about the existence of this system, but not about its use between qualifying and the race. We didn't do anything and never discussed it. For example, during a Sprint weekend, we had to adopt a ride height close to the moon to avoid being disqualified (for skid block wear, editor's note), as had happened in the past with Mercedes. I believe it is up to the FIA to draw the line between legal and illegal. They are the ones who govern our sport; the final word is theirs".
Now the statements made by Nicholas Tombazis during the Singapore Grand Prix take on a new meaning. The Greek engineer, responsible for technical regulations on behalf of the FIA, had said that all teams, including those complaining today, had benefited from the Federation's (cautious, editor's note) approach. In the specific case, he was referring to McLaren's mini-DRS, but now it is hard not to draw a parallel with the T-Tray case. Red Bull Racing, of course, clarifies that the system exists but is not operable once the car is assembled and ready to race. However, opponents inevitably protest: why bother installing a device that theoretically could alter the car's ride height, potentially bypassing Parc Fermé rules, if that same device cannot be activated? This is a question that the FIA will have to answer, raising legitimate suspicions about the integrity of what has been seen this season, and perhaps even in previous ones. It is thus inevitable that the first to complain are the two drivers of McLaren Racing, who are competing with Max Verstappen for the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships. Lando Norris comments:
"It's one thing to have such a device in the car, it's another how it is used, something we have no knowledge of. So, if this system has indeed helped (Red Bull Racing, editor's note), then perhaps the situation could shift in our favor. That said, it's not certain they achieved pole positions or wins solely because of the device, and I don't think it will change much in the bigger picture. But if we look at certain qualifying sessions and the gap in certain races this year where the difference was just a few hundredths or even thousandths of a second in Q3, then one might think that maybe this system helped them. I think it's good that the FIA takes such actions. There's a difference between 'black and white' situations like this and Formula 1 pushing boundaries by creating innovative solutions within the rules".
This last remark clearly refers to McLaren Racing's work on the grey area of wing flexibility, which led the Woking team's engineers to devise the now infamous mini-DRS seen on the MCL38 during the Belgian, Italian, and Azerbaijan Grands Prix. Oscar Piastri shares a similar view:
"Obviously, we are all pushing the limits of technical regulations. This aspect has always characterized Formula 1. However, from what I've heard, such a thing is not just pushing the limits... it’s clearly breaking them. If it was used, it's clear that whoever did so did not just push the limits but went beyond the grey area into a black one. Our mini DRS was legal. Even though we had to make some adjustments, it wasn't revolutionary for the car. We’ll see if this issue will have an impact".
Over the years, Lewis Hamilton has certainly not been known as a great admirer of Red Bull Racing. The famous and controversial title fight in 2021 - as well as the years of Sebastian Vettel’s dominance - often placed the British driver and the Milton Keynes team on opposite sides. Yet, on this occasion, Lewis Hamilton offers a dissenting opinion, which almost sounds like a defense of Red Bull Racing’s actions:
"I only heard about it before coming here. But I think our sport is all about innovation. Red Bull has been a leader and has innovated. All teams look at the rules and try to find ways to 'massage' them to get the most, even if it means pushing a bit past the limit. We just have to keep evolving and being scrutinized better. In the end, they did a better job. God only knows how long they've had [the device] and have won championships. Maybe they’ve stopped now, but I don't think this is the only thing that will slow them down. The rest of us need to focus on being innovators rather than playing catch-up".
Returning to more relevant topics for the current World Championship standings, Charles Leclerc arrives in Austin, expressing confidence that he can still fight for the Constructors' World Championship, even though the math suggests that there aren't many chances left for a comeback for Scuderia Ferrari. The Monegasque driver is currently 86 points behind Max Verstappen in the Drivers' Championship standings, while the Maranello team is 75 points behind the new leaders, McLaren Racing.
"I will obviously fight until the end, regardless of what position is at stake. As a driver, you always have to do your best, whether you're fighting for fifth or fourth place, or if the victory is at stake. This mindset applies to every position, even though, obviously, battling for fourth, third, or second place is far less exciting. But I want to win, and that will be my mentality for the rest of the championship. We need to try to finish first in as many races as possible and then see what the standings say. For the Drivers' title, we would need quite a bit of luck. For the Constructors', however, the chances are more realistic, although it is true that McLaren is pulling away a bit lately. But never say never. We will push until the end".
Charles Leclerc also says that Scuderia Ferrari plans to continue developing the car for the current season, as many of the innovations introduced this year will still be useful for the next World Championship:
"We are fully focused on this car, but at the same time, it is true that any new part we try now is obviously developed with 2025 in mind. Everything we've learned so far and any new components that will arrive before the end of the season, if any, will be aligned with what we believe is the right direction. We are focused on 2024, but we are always thinking about the medium and long term whenever we bring an update. This is the path to approach the next championship".
The Monegasque driver concluded by saying that this Grand Prix can be considered crucial for evaluating the technical developments that the team has introduced between the Italian Grand Prix and the one held in Singapore:
"I think this is the first real test for the latest updates we’ve brought, in order to understand how much progress we’ve made and whether we’re working in the right direction. This weekend will be a great test, and we hope it yields positive results".
For Carlos Sainz Jr., the United States Grand Prix is the moment of truth for Scuderia Ferrari. The Spanish driver confirms that the SF-24 will not have any updates, and that it is essentially the car that won at Monza. It is a car capable of winning on potentially favorable tracks. But will it perform just as well on the COTA’s sweeping corners? This is the big question Ferrari needs to answer:
"I think that the more tracks we have done since Monza, the more confident we are that the updates we brought to the car are starting to work almost everywhere. But I've always said over the last three races that until we tested them here in Austin, a normal track, we wouldn’t be able to measure the real improvements on tracks like Zandvoort and Spa, where we struggled a bit more. I believe this will be the most important test for us to see if all the updates we’ve made in the past are working in the right direction for a more typical track like Austin. We don’t have anything new on the car, it’s what we brought to Monza, plus a small front wing update for Singapore. Here in Austin, it’s about confirming whether our better pace in the last three races was more due to being on three very suitable tracks, like Monza, Baku, and Singapore, or if the updates have had a significant effect".
Carlos Sainz Jr. is still wearing the red suit, but he knows he will have to change it at the end of the year to wear the blue of the Williams Racing team. Therefore, the Spanish driver, who arrives in Austin refreshed after an unusual autumn break, also talks about his future:
"I can’t wait to take on this challenge next year. First of all, it’s nice to see how much they’ve improved recently and how the car has been scoring points quite often in the last few races. In conversations with James (Vowles, editor’s note), we talked a lot about this year, how much the team would improve, and what position it would be in 2025. And so far, he has kept his word and lived up to expectations, which is never certain with updates in Formula 1. The team seems to have taken steps in the right direction".
However, Carlos Sainz Jr. wants to stay focused on the end of the season, where he will still be a key player with Scuderia Ferrari:
"I have a job to finish this year with a car that could potentially allow me to win a race or achieve a couple more podiums. I want to maximize this opportunity to see if I can help the team finish as high as possible in the Constructors’ Championship and, of course, give myself the great gift of a podium or a victory".
Sharing the famous scene from The Wolf of Wall Street on his social media has not necessarily put an end to the speculation about Sergio Perez's future in Formula 1. During the autumn break, the Mexican driver tweeted a video where Leonardo DiCaprio famously yells through clenched teeth:
"I’m not leaving".
Nevertheless, Sergio Perez remains at the center of rumors about a possible replacement as early as 2025. On one hand, Helmut Marko has openly spoken about Perez’s fluctuating form, while on the other, Christian Horner has admitted that Liam Lawson’s promotion was intended to assess the team’s young drivers and put pressure on the Mexican driver. From his side, Sergio Perez remains calm and confident that he has nothing to fear, especially considering his contract with Red Bull Racing for 2025 and 2026.
"Sometimes people just share these rumors online, and then a lot of people believe them, especially in Mexico. And since my home Grand Prix is coming up, I don't want my fans to be misled by this false information. I want to make it 100% clear that I will be here next season. I have a contract, and I intend to honor it. I’m not thinking about retirement at all; I’m just focused on solving the problems we’ve had with the car so far. The young rivals? It’s great to see new drivers coming in and being fast right away. Nowadays, the young guys coming in are much more prepared than when I started. They grow up within a Formula 1 team practically from the beginning of their careers, so they attend many races and know how a team works. That’s why they are able to perform well immediately, and it’s fantastic to see them in action".
While waiting to see how the Mexican driver’s career unfolds, on Friday, October 18, 2024, the on-track action begins. During FP1, the two Ferrari cars dominate the session: Carlos Sainz Jr. leads by just a few thousandths of a second over Charles Leclerc, setting an exceptional time. The Spanish driver makes the most of the recent resurfacing of the track, which has eliminated many existing imperfections. Max Verstappen takes third place, although he sets his best time mid-session when the track was not yet fully rubbered in. Meanwhile, the two Mercedes cars face more difficulties, with both drivers spinning, possibly due to excessive bouncing. As expected, the atmosphere surrounding the United States Grand Prix is clouded by the T-Tray controversy. After being criticized by McLaren Racing, Red Bull Racing has hit back. According to the team from Milton Keynes, the trick that allows them to adjust the ride height of the central floor section is not only perfectly legal but was also known to both the FIA and other teams. Helmut Marko, an external advisor to Red Bull Racing, publicly addressed the issue, saying:
"The system is perfectly legal and was known to all the teams. We had already informed the FIA about it, and that says it all. You cannot change the ride height between qualifying and the race. That’s the key point; there’s nothing illegal here. The FIA already knew about it. There was no penalty, nothing has changed compared to before. I don't understand all the talk around this. Maybe some people want to shift the focus away from other issues".
The FIA, for its part, is not changing its approach. Whether it’s the case of McLaren Racing’s mini-DRS or the system adopted by Red Bull Racing to adjust the T-Tray ride height on the RB20, the Federation's stewards continue to take a cautious stance. This approach was already defended by Nikolas Tombazis during the previous Singapore Grand Prix, and it is reiterated in the paddock at Austin. The question is not how, but when. If the system is used during free practice, it is allowed and has the benefit of speeding up the mechanics' work. On the other hand, if used between qualifying and the race, it would be a way to bypass - illegally - the restrictions imposed by Parc Fermé. The FIA has no evidence that such adjustments have ever been made, but it will ensure that this does not happen in the future.
Starting from this Grand Prix, the Federation has decided to apply seals to ensure that any use of the device can be detected by the stewards during routine checks. Nicholas Tombazis, the FIA's head of technical regulations, commented on this:
"During the last race in Singapore, we were informed about the existence of a certain system that could allow the ride height of the front part of the car to be adjusted during Parc Fermé. We have no indication or evidence that this has ever happened, and if it did, it would clearly be illegal. So, we have decided that from this race onwards, there will no longer be any possibility of making such an adjustment. If a team has a device that allows the ride height to be changed quickly, then that device must be sealed to ensure it is not accessible during Parc Fermé. I think all the teams agree with our decision, and from what I can see, the issue is reasonably under control. There is no story to talk about; we have only done what was necessary to stop the speculations. Of course, this is a highly competitive championship, and people get heated about their cars. We cannot definitively close the issue for previous races or prevent teams from making insinuations in such a competitive environment. But, as of now, we believe it is a non-issue".
A few hours later, when the Sprint Qualifying begins, Kevin Magnussen sets the initial benchmark time, which is not improved by Yuki Tsunoda or Max Verstappen, but by Lando Norris, who clocks a lap of 1'33"919. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri only manages to qualify seventh, followed by the two Williams Racing drivers. Carlos Sainz Jr. places second before Charles Leclerc narrowly beats Lando Norris by just 0.023 seconds. Then it’s Lewis Hamilton’s turn to push the limit to 1'33"840. George Russell moves up to fifth, while Max Verstappen completes a second quick lap, climbing to third. Sergio Pérez is seventh, and Alexander Albon spins out. Oscar Piastri, who had moved into seventh, sees his time annulled for exceeding track limits, meaning the Australian driver does not qualify for the second phase. Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, and Guanyu Zhou also do not advance to SQ2. In this phase, Kevin Magnussen once again sets the fastest session time. The two Mercedes drivers then take their turn at the top of the standings. Shortly after, Carlos Sainz Jr. improves on Lewis Hamilton’s benchmark, while Charles Leclerc sits third and Lando Norris is fifth. Soon after, Max Verstappen stops just 0.016 seconds short of the fastest time. Franco Colapinto slots in between the two Haas drivers, while Sergio Pérez lingers in tenth place behind the two American cars. Both Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson see their times eliminated, dashing their hopes of advancing to the final phase. Sergio Pérez, Pierre Gasly, and Lance Stroll also fail to make it to SQ3. Pierre Gasly is investigated for obstructing Franco Colapinto, but the stewards do not penalize the French Alpine driver. In SQ3, George Russell sets a time of 1'32"845, leading Lewis Hamilton by 0.5 seconds. Shortly after, Franco Colapinto spins without any damage to the car. Carlos Sainz Jr. comes in just 0.2 seconds shy of George Russell’s time, narrowly losing to Lando Norris by mere milliseconds. Subsequently, Charles Leclerc manages to improve on the benchmark set by the McLaren driver but still remains behind George Russell. Only Max Verstappen, with a time of 1'32"833, is able to beat George Russell. Max Verstappen thus secures his ninth career pole position for the Sprint Race, his third of the season, and consecutive. It's only Friday, and this is just the pole position for the Sprint Race, but for many, it's quite something to see Max Verstappen back in first place. His main title rival, Lando Norris, is only in fourth. At the end of the Sprint Qualifying, Max Verstappen seems calm, but it's evident that this return to the top of the standings is very welcome:
"We had a good day. Sprint Qualifying is always challenging, with the two runs on medium tires and then the softs. You never really know how much you can push. But I'm happy, the car performed really well. I’m obviously pleased to be first—it’s been a while, so I'm very satisfied today. Only one FP session? Everything is very hectic, but this track is beautiful for a driver. There are different types of asphalt, bumps, and managing everything on a single lap is not easy. But it’s fun. Sprint Race? We’ll try to do our best, but we know that the most important points are with Sunday’s race: that’s where I aim to do really well".
After dominating the Singapore Grand Prix, the start of the Texas weekend for the McLaren Racing team, almost a month after the impressive superiority displayed at Marina Bay, is not what was expected. The Sprint Qualifying ended with Max Verstappen taking pole position, while Lando Norris could only manage a disappointing fourth place. This result complicates the plans for the Sprint Race.
"The Sprint Qualifying was frustrating. My lap could have been cleaner, so I’m disappointed. We will analyze the issue and find areas to work on for Saturday's sessions. We’re still in the mix and close to the leaders, with just a few cars to overtake. That’s my plan for the Sprint: the goal is to score important points for our championship run".
Even worse, however, was the performance of Oscar Piastri, who was eliminated in Q1 after his best time was canceled for exceeding track limits. A major disappointment for the Australian driver, who will therefore start only from P16 on the grid.
"It’s a shame to be eliminated so early. Most of the lap was good, but I made a few mistakes in the last sector. At the penultimate corner, I tried to carry too much speed and exceeded the track limits. It’s a pity, but one of the positives of Sprint weekends is that we’ll have another chance to show our real pace. It will be tough to get back into the points, given where we’re starting, but we’ll do our best".
The Sprint Qualifying of the United States Grand Prix ended with Ferrari in the second and third row. In an SQ3 marked by very tight gaps, Charles Leclerc took third place, while his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. set the fifth-best time. Analyzing the result, Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur shows some optimism, emphasizing that in race pace, the two Maranello cars could be competitive and fight for victory.
"I’d say we can’t complain so far, even though we didn’t exactly get the result we expected after we were ahead in the morning on the hard tires, and the car seemed to do well on the softs too. In SQ1 and SQ2, we were very competitive, but in SQ3 with the softs, we lost some ground. Overall, the pace seems to be there, as it was in Monza, Baku, and Singapore. The field is very tight, and we saw that Mercedes and Verstappen performed much better on the softs than on the mediums, while for us, it seemed the opposite. This gives us hope for the Saturday and Sunday races, where we don’t expect to have to use the soft tires. Starting third and fifth on the grid in the Sprint, and considering the pace shown with the mediums, we could have what it takes to fight for the win".
The United States Grand Prix started with an exciting and unpredictable Sprint Qualifying, right up to the last second of Q3. However, in the paddock, there is still a lot of talk about the T-Tray. Frédéric Vasseur also touches on this, saying to the media:
"Honestly, I don’t know the details of the whole story, but it’s definitely not allowed to change the setup between qualifying and the race. If that did happen, it’s more than cheating; it would be huge. But I don’t know if Red Bull Racing actually did that. I think the FIA has all the tools to find out, being able to talk to the people involved to understand if it’s just a device to adjust the car before the weekend or if it’s actually used between qualifying and the race. We are always pushing the limits of the regulations. But before, there was talk about the rear wing at Baku (of McLaren, editor’s note), which in my view wasn’t legal, and now there’s talk about changing the car’s setup between qualifying and the race, which isn’t legal. We don’t want to go beyond the limits, and I’m not saying that Red Bull Racing did it, but if they did, it would be totally illegal, and I wouldn’t want to be in that situation. It’s hard to comment because I don’t really know what happened, and you always have to distinguish between rumors and reality, but the FIA can speak with team members or those who were part of it in the past. For sure, it’s illegal to change the setup between qualifying and the race and to design devices to change the setup between qualifying and the race".
Carlos Sainz Jr. set only the fifth-best time, securing a spot on the third row. The gaps, however, are very close, as the Spanish driver finished SQ3 just 0.030 seconds behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who took third place.
"It was a very close Sprint Qualifying, and overall, it wasn’t bad. The laps in SQ1 and SQ2 on the medium tires were good, while we lacked something on the softs. In the only attempt in SQ3, everything came down to the details, but on Saturday, we’ll have another chance. In terms of race pace, I think we can be competitive, and that’s why I expect an interesting Sprint Race where we can fight to recover positions".
It hasn’t been a bad start to the weekend for Scuderia Ferrari in Austin. Charles Leclerc took third place in SQ3, securing a good spot on the second row ahead of the Sprint Race. It’s not a perfect result, considering that Max Verstappen and George Russell will start ahead of him on the grid, but it still keeps alive some hopes of trying to secure that elusive win, which Ferrari has never achieved in a short race format.
"We didn’t get the ideal result, but this third position isn’t bad for the Sprint Race, where we will do everything to gain more positions. Our pace seemed good on the medium tires, while we lacked enough speed with the softs to compete for pole position. My lap was a bit messy, but overall in SQ3, we weren’t at our best, which can happen when there’s so little time available in practice. We still don’t have a clear picture of everyone’s race pace, but I hope we can have a solid Sprint Race because that would be a good sign for Sunday".
A mistake in turn 1 for George Russell and a tricky combination of a slip-up and yellow flags in turn 12 for Lewis Hamilton. This is how the Mercedes team missed out on a pole position that seemed well within reach during the Sprint Qualifying of the United States Grand Prix. Despite the disappointment for George Russell's near-miss and Lewis Hamilton's frustration at starting from seventh, there is satisfaction in knowing that the technically updated W15 seems to be working well. Lewis Hamilton spoke about this at the end of the Sprint Qualifying:
"I was unlucky with the yellow flag in turn 12 (referring to the warning sign for Franco Colapinto's spin), and that’s that. It’s a pity because at that moment, I had a four-tenth advantage on the best time. That’s how it went, but the positive thing is that the team has made progress with the car. The updates clearly worked, and I’m grateful to everyone at the factory for the hard work they’ve put in recently. Having working upgrades is a sign of dedication, so (the disappointing qualifying, editor’s note) is not the end of the world. We’ll have another chance in qualifying. Great work was done to make the necessary adjustments to the setup. It’s always a bit of a gamble because you never know if the changes you make will work, but you hope they do. As soon as I came out of the pits, the car felt completely different, like night and day, so the team did an excellent job in the garage".
The satisfaction is also evident for George Russell, who was beaten by just 0.012 seconds by Max Verstappen:
"To be honest, I’m very happy because it’s been a while since I’ve been on the front row, and the session was challenging. But it was really good, and in the last lap, the final sector was very strong. I think that made the difference. It’s a real shame about Lewis’s yellow flags, as he was also very fast. I think we should have both been up there. In the morning, the car was definitely difficult to handle, but we managed to fix things. We knew we had good potential, and the car performed very well with these updates. The races will obviously be very tight, but it was a nice surprise to be in second place. Fight for the win? Honestly, I don’t see why not. If we can keep this up and start at the front a couple of times... I’m excited to be back in this position. It’s been a while since the last time, but this is what I love most about Formula 1 - going out on the track, fighting for poles, and hopefully, for the top spot in the race".
On Saturday, October 19, 2024, at the start of the Sprint Race, Max Verstappen gets off to a strong start, quickly pulling away from the pack behind him. Behind him, George Russell, slowed down at the start, blocks the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, allowing Lando Norris to take advantage with a good start, moving up to second place. Already in the first lap, Charles Leclerc finds himself battling with George Russell for third place, which the British driver manages to hold. The top three drivers remain within two seconds of each other in the opening laps. Behind them, a prolonged battle ignites between the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, with Carlos Sainz Jr. coming out on top by the fifth lap. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen, with a superior pace, extends his lead over Lando Norris. By the ninth lap, Carlos Sainz Jr. manages to overtake George Russell. Later, during lap 10, the British Mercedes driver also has to concede his position to Charles Leclerc. The pace of the two Maranello cars allows them to close in on Lando Norris, while George Russell soon falls behind the leading group. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda is overtaken by Nico Hülkenberg, a move that allows both Haas drivers to get into the points, with Kevin Magnussen sitting in seventh place just ahead. In the final lap, Carlos Sainz Jr. attacks Lando Norris, who is unable to respond, taking second place. Shortly after, Charles Leclerc also attempts an overtake on the British McLaren driver, but Norris manages to defend his position. Short, intense, and quite spectacular. This was the Sprint Race of the United States Grand Prix, which saw Max Verstappen return to victory. The Dutch driver, starting from pole position, made a perfect start and managed to maintain the lead throughout the race. Behind him, however, there were fierce battles. Carlos Sainz Jr., who was the star and delivered an objectively perfect race, finished in second place. The Spanish driver initially won a spectacular duel with Charles Leclerc, which lasted several laps and was marked by a series of overtakes and counter-overtakes worthy of highlight reels, especially in the section between turns 15 and 16. Not satisfied with that, he overtook Lando Norris in turn 1 on the final lap with a feint that confused the British driver, who then had to settle for third place, barely holding off a charging Charles Leclerc. Lando Norris, on the other hand, had been very skillful at the start, overtaking both George Russell and Charles Leclerc, gaining two positions in just three corners. The two Mercedes drivers, however, were disappointing, with George Russell in fifth and Lewis Hamilton in sixth, never really in contention. Meanwhile, the Haas cars, driven by Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, performed well, rounding out the points in seventh and eighth positions. Max Verstappen said at the end of the Sprint Race:
"Today wasn't bad, it was a bit like the old days. If you look at the whole race, the Ferraris are also very fast. But finally, we can race again because lately, we always had to look over our shoulders. Now we can run our race, we had a good pace. 11 Sprint wins out of 16? I win them because I don't like them. Joking aside, these are always hectic weekends, but here the car has always been in a good window. There's more pressure, but luckily it works for us".
If the Sprint Race was particularly enjoyable and spectacular, as mentioned, much of the credit goes to Carlos Sainz Jr., who was on fire from the start. The Spanish driver's comeback is a very important signal for the race: the updates that the SF-24 brought to Monza seem to work well even on a track with many high-speed corners. And if Ferrari shines also during Saturday's qualifying, positioning themselves better for the race, Carlos Sainz Jr. could have all the conditions to win.
"It's always fun here, and we managed to create a lot of action. We had some great battles in the first laps, then at the end, I was struggling with the tires, but I saw that Lando was also having difficulties. I knew that if I got into DRS range, I could secure second place. I made the overtake in turn 1, and it was fun. The reality is that we didn't manage the tires that much. We found ourselves in so many battles that we couldn't focus on that. But despite that, the pace was good. This is encouraging for tomorrow. Our car isn't in the best shape in qualifying, but we'll try to do our best today. Can we win with this car? Yes, exactly. The goal is to find a way to have better qualifying. Perhaps we have a setup that's too focused on the race, and in recent weekends we tend to be stronger on Sundays than in qualifying, it's something we're evaluating and is a bit of a trend this year. It was a very fun race, I enjoyed it. It was a bit stressful with Charles, he's the last person I want to battle with because you're always worried about something happening, but I think we always stayed on the right side of things and had fun (though Leclerc probably didn't enjoy it as much). Now we need to find a way to start further ahead and see if we can challenge Max and Lando".
Lando Norris, therefore, had to settle for the final third place:
"Honestly, I'm quite happy with the result today. I was hoping to finish second, but Carlos did a good job, and my front tires were completely gone. There wasn't much I could do. I would have lost the position anyway, even if I had defended more. Overall, I'm happy with third place. The start? I've been doing well in recent starts, and today I managed to get a good jump off the line. I couldn't have done more; I didn't have the pace to keep up with Max or to beat the Ferraris".
Red sparks flew at the end of the United States Sprint Race. Behind Max Verstappen, who returned to victory after a long drought, came Carlos Sainz Jr.'s Ferrari, the star of the day with a spectacular comeback that took him from fifth to second place. But the future Williams driver, moved from Maranello to make room for Lewis Hamilton, built the foundations of his climb with a great battle against his teammate, Charles Leclerc. For three or four consecutive times in the opening laps, the Spanish driver attacked Charles Leclerc, creating a spectacular sequence of overtakes and counter-overtakes. On the umpteenth attempt, the Monegasque driver had to give in, letting his teammate through and unable to retake the position until the checkered flag, where Leclerc crossed the line in fourth place. After the Sprint Race, the Monegasque driver expressed his frustration with his teammate’s approach, attacking him while he was trying to manage his tires.
"The battle with Sainz at the start? It certainly affected my result. But of course, this is a Sprint race, and we all try to achieve the best result possible. Carlos had a different approach from mine. He pushed a lot in the opening laps, while I wanted to be careful with the tires. His approach paid off today compared to mine. I won’t go into further detail".
Formula 1 returns to action amid controversies that refuse to die down. The T-Tray case, involving Red Bull Racing, continues to be a talking point in Austin, even though the FIA intervened by first reaching an agreement with the Milton Keynes team and then declaring that the case was effectively non-existent because there is no evidence that Red Bull Racing used the trick to adjust the setup in Parc Ferme. Confident in this defense, Red Bull Racing has prepared a counter-attack against McLaren Racing. The Team Principal of the Anglo-Austrian team, Christian Horner, partially echoing the sentiments of Helmut Marko, believes that the Woking team only wants to divert attention from its internal problems, likely referring to the banned mini-DRS after Baku. The British manager thinks that the FIA took measures against his team's cars perhaps to satisfy some paranoia elsewhere in the paddock:
"I believe there have been complaints from one of our rivals. It is the FIA's job to investigate these things. (The T-Tray, editor's note) is on a list of open-source components, so it's been publicly available for the last three years. I get the impression that sometimes people want to divert attention from what's happening in their own camp, so they try to light a fire elsewhere. Every car has a tool that allows adjustments to what we call the front part of the floor. It’s been there, I think, for over three years. To access it, you need to remove the pedals, other panels, and pipes. It’s like any other adjustment on the car. It would be easier to adjust a rear roll bar than reach this component. You can’t adjust devices during parc ferme, and indeed, that didn’t happen. We have cameras watching the cars, we have technicians and witnesses observing them. In the last three years, our car has been inspected more than any other in the pit lane, so we’re absolutely confident. There will be other things coming up from here to Abu Dhabi. They could have talked about this three weeks ago, but it’s a conversation we had with the FIA in Singapore, they examined it and are absolutely satisfied".
A few hours later, at the start of the United States Grand Prix qualifying session, Fernando Alonso overtakes Liam Lawson in the pit lane and sets the first benchmark time, followed by Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon.
Shortly after, Lando Norris improves on the time set by the Spanish driver, while Carlos Sainz Jr. finishes just 0.075 seconds behind the British McLaren driver. Behind Sainz, Oscar Piastri slots in. Soon after, Max Verstappen sets a time of 1’33"690, while Red Bull Racing’s other driver, Sergio Pérez, matches Lando Norris's time to the millisecond. Alex Albon moves up to fourth place, but is soon overtaken by Franco Colapinto. Nico Hülkenberg then manages an even better time, climbing to second place, while the two Mercedes drivers struggle, with George Russell in tenth and Lewis Hamilton in fourteenth. In a surprise, Pierre Gasly jumps to the top of the leaderboard, while Esteban Ocon takes fourth place, only to be immediately beaten by Liam Lawson. Yuki Tsunoda slots in behind the New Zealand driver, before his time is deleted for exceeding track limits. Carlos Sainz Jr. then moves up to second place before Charles Leclerc sets the fastest time, clocking in at 1'33"241. Oscar Piastri can only manage seventh place, while Lando Norris climbs back up to fourth. Shortly after, Max Verstappen regains first position, with George Russell posting the third-fastest time. Lewis Hamilton doesn't appear fast enough to progress to the next round, finishing only sixteenth. The Racing Bulls show stronger performance, with Yuki Tsunoda in seventh and Liam Lawson in third. Eliminated in Q1 are Alex Albon, Franco Colapinto, Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton, and Guanyu Zhou. During Q2, Racing Bulls decides that Liam Lawson will assist Yuki Tsunoda in reaching Q3 without aiming for a personal best. With a time of 1'33"052, Max Verstappen sets the reference time, leaving Sergio Pérez 0.4 seconds behind. Soon after, Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz slot between the two Red Bull Racing drivers. The fifth place, temporarily held by Charles Leclerc, shifts first to Esteban Ocon and then to Yuki Tsunoda. Shortly after, the two Haas drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, alternate in fifth place, while Lando Norris sets a time of 1’32"851 to take the lead. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri and George Russell move up to third and fourth places, respectively. Soon after, Max Verstappen reclaims the top spot with a time of 1'32"584, while Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez place third and fourth.
Yuki Tsunoda, aided by the slipstream provided by Liam Lawson, is ninth. Pierre Gasly moves up to seventh, before Carlos Sainz Jr. takes second place. Nico Hülkenberg can only manage tenth place, while Kevin Magnussen edges out Yuki Tsunoda. Fernando Alonso also makes it into the top ten. Not advancing to Q3 are Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hülkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Liam Lawson. In Q3, only Fernando Alonso opts for a single attempt, while George Russell records a time of 1’32"974. Lando Norris sets a time of 1’32"330, followed by Carlos Sainz Jr., Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri. Pierre Gasly posts the sixth-best time, while Max Verstappen finishes just 0.031 seconds behind Norris's time. Sergio Pérez is far off the pace, trailing Max Verstappen by 0.899 seconds. The Mexican driver's time is later deleted for exceeding track limits. Fernando Alonso, making his attempt while the other drivers are in the pits, records the eighth-best time. On the final attempt, Max Verstappen sets the fastest time in the first sector. However, George Russell's off-track incident at the penultimate corner triggers yellow flags, preventing any driver from improving their position on the starting grid. After the Sprint Race, the qualifying session for the United States Grand Prix also delivered excitement. The showdown, especially in Q3, was between the two title contenders: Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. The British driver from McLaren prevailed by just 0.031 seconds, taking the lead after the first attempt and benefiting from George Russell's crash in the second. The Mercedes driver's off-track excursion prevented all drivers from making a second attempt. Behind these two rival friends were the two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc, with the Spanish driver once again ahead of his Monegasque teammate, as had happened at the end of the Sprint Race. The third row was made up of Oscar Piastri and George Russell, who still set the sixth-best time while waiting to assess the extent of the damage to his Mercedes. Pierre Gasly, never before this competitive, qualified in seventh place, ahead of Fernando Alonso, Kevin Magnussen, and Sergio Perez, who had his time disqualified and thus finishes without a time. It was a nightmare day for Lewis Hamilton, eliminated in Q1 with the nineteenth-fastest time. Lando Norris said at the end of the qualifying session:
"The pole lap was beautiful; I couldn’t have gone much faster. It would have been tough to beat it even completing a second attempt. I put everything on the line, and that’s what needed to be done. This weekend we had to chase; we didn’t have the pace of Ferrari and Red Bull. I had to come up with something, and today I did. This track is very fast; inside the car, you realize the speed, and when the car feels good, you smile even more. The weekend has been difficult, but we changed quite a bit, reviewed what we could, and improved".
And he adds:
"Maybe we weren’t the fastest today, but there was a bit of luck, and I’ll take it. Race and tire degradation risks? We did our job; we made some changes, but it will be tough. We’ve checked off the first thought, but tomorrow in the race will be hard".
Only 0.031 seconds separated Max Verstappen from Lando Norris at the end of Q3. A very tight battle between the two title contenders, who – after Verstappen’s victory in the Sprint Race – are now separated in the standings by 54 points. The pole was awarded based on the only timed lap completed by the drivers in the decisive phase of the session. Max Verstappen’s disappointment at not being able to make one last push for pole position was somewhat alleviated by the knowledge that he had once again found himself with a winning car after the month-long break that separated the Singapore Grand Prix from the U.S. Grand Prix.
"It was a shame not to be able to finish the last lap in Q3. During my first lap, I made a mistake at turn 19, and in the second lap, we were ahead in the first sector, but unfortunately, there was a yellow flag. These things happen in racing, and you can’t control these situations. I’m still very happy with our performance: we were able to fight for pole, which is very positive. This weekend, we made updates to the car that made it faster and better to drive, so we hope all this works for the race. So far, we’ve been strong, and it was great to win the Sprint. We learned a lot, and if we can replicate what we did in the Sprint, I can be confident. There are small gaps between the teams, so I expect the race to be very balanced, and I need a good result. The most important thing is that we are competitive again and that the car is better; let’s hope we can fight for the win".
A fantastic Saturday comes to a close for Carlos Sainz Jr., who, after finishing second in the Sprint Race, manages to once again outpace his teammate Charles Leclerc, qualifying just 0.01 seconds ahead. The Spanish driver is going very fast and will be a contender for victory against Max Verstappen and the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who appeared to be a step ahead before the start of the U.S. weekend.
"Could I have been on the front row without Russell’s incident? I don’t know; I need to see what time I did exactly, but I know I was three-tenths faster at 16, and there were two corners left. The tires were perfect; we found something in that spot, and I gained a lot of time on the lap. I was very encouraged by the lap I was doing, so it’s a pity about that, but honestly, I think that third place is normally where we’ve been throughout qualifying: pole seemed a bit far away. Now, after that qualifying lap, I’m a bit more optimistic, and it means that yes, tomorrow we will go for it".
For Charles Leclerc, another race marked by chasing lies ahead. In Austin, the Monegasque driver will have to climb from the fourth position obtained in qualifying: a position Leclerc believes is fitting for the car's potential, but that could turn into something very important during the Grand Prix if he can take advantage of the promising race pace shown by the SF-24 during practice.
"We made few changes (between the Sprint Race and Qualifying in terms of setup), because I was quite happy with the Sprint. In the Sprint Qualifying, unfortunately, we had issues in the first sector, and for now, we don’t have a solution in the car, so it wouldn’t have made sense to go in another direction for that. We tried to maximize today’s result, and in the end, that’s what we did. We got a third and a fourth place, and I don’t think we could have done more".
Scuderia Ferrari confirms the impressions gained especially in the last races: the SF-24 is a car that seems to be more competitive in the race than in qualifying. The Scuderia Ferrari lacked something in the quick lap to compete with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, but starting from the second row can be an excellent premise for the race. The car’s pace is remarkable, and Team Principal Frederic Vasseur doesn’t hide it.
"Without a doubt, you always want to do better than a third or fourth place, but we know the characteristics of the car and know that we were in excellent condition this morning over a long distance. Starting from third or fourth place, I believe anything is possible. We hope to have the same pace we had today over a long distance. It’s always an advantage to have two cars in the top four positions because you can play a bit with the strategy and take different options. This weekend isn’t simple, because the track is very uneven on one side and not very smooth on the other, and it’s not easy to find the right setup in these conditions. We all have to make compromises, but we saw that over the distance this morning it was good: we lost a bit of time in the first corners with Russell, but if we can stay ahead of him tomorrow to stay with McLaren and Max, that would be great".
The French manager is not alarmed by the duel between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. seen during the Sprint Race, which we will probably see again in the race:
"I trust them; they did a good job this morning, and we managed to catch up to Norris. I don’t want to freeze the positions because before freezing anything, we also need to see how hard they push in the first lap: I don’t think that would be the right decision. Let’s focus on ourselves; we managed to catch up to Norris at the end of the stint, and let’s try to do even better tomorrow. Overall, they did an excellent job managing things today; they were very consistent until the last lap, which is positive for tomorrow, but we will need to pay attention".
According to Vasseur, Russell's incident at the end of Q3 did not significantly impact the outcome of the qualifying session:
"There’s a bit of frustration because the last lap was very good; we were ahead by two or three tenths compared to the previous lap, but this is probably true for Lando and Max as well; you can’t race with what ifs. We need to consider what we did today to focus on tomorrow".
Lewis Hamilton’s negative weekend continues. The British driver was eliminated in Q1 of the United States Grand Prix qualifying session: due to a mistake exiting turn 12, the Mercedes driver surprisingly finished P19, which will turn into P18 on the grid only due to the penalty inflicted on Liam Lawson. Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying session is the worst he can recall with the new generation of cars. To find a more negative Saturday than this, one would have to look back to the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2017, when the British driver hit the wall at the start of Q1 and started from the back of the grid in the race. This is Hamilton's second Q1 elimination of the season: it also happened in China (P18), but he still managed to return to the points (P9) during the race.
"That was a tough day. The Sprint was a difficult session for us, with the car not feeling as strong as it did yesterday. The temperature was warmer than on Friday, and that didn't seem to suit us. We made some changes ahead of Qualifying to counteract that and try to push us in a direction that could get the car closer to how it felt on Friday, but we continued to struggle. Tomorrow will be difficult for us starting P19. It will be hard to find opportunities, but I will be giving it my all to move forward. The car today suffered from an inconsistent balance and a lack of grip, so hopefully, it will be in a better place on Sunday".
The incident at Turn 19 during the last lap of qualifying created quite a puzzle for George Russell's mechanics, who now find themselves without spare parts and will likely have to revert to the old technical package, which is not updated. For this reason, Lewis Hamilton, who is set to start from the back of the grid and from the pit lane, reportedly offered his aerodynamic components to his teammate to help preserve the team's chances of scoring valuable points. However, George Russell declined the offer:
"For now, the biggest concern is the spare parts. We will have to go back to the previous updates, and Lewis offered to give me his, but we won’t be swapping parts. So, I don’t know what will happen, but it’s the biggest concern, and we don’t have the answers we want".
Even if the British driver reverts to the previous aerodynamic package, he will not be forced to start from the pit lane. This is due to Article 40.4 of the sporting regulations, which allows teams to use aerodynamic components of technical specifications already used during Sprint weekends - when incidents are more likely and spare parts may run low - without violating the parc fermé rules, provided it can be demonstrated that no other parts of the same type are available. George Russell should therefore maintain his sixth position on the starting grid but might find himself in the uncomfortable position of racing with a setup and aerodynamic components that have not been tested during the weekend.
"Sometimes with both the old and new packages, we’re fighting for pole and wins; other times we’re five or six tenths behind".
With his crash at the end of Q3, George Russell brought the qualifying session to an early end, preventing the other drivers from improving their lap times. The Mercedes driver paid the price for a mistake in turn 19, where he pushed too hard to make up for lost ground after a lock-up in turn 12 that had already compromised his lap. Overall, George Russell never felt comfortable with the car throughout Saturday, which is a major concern for him, especially considering that he had a great Friday, finishing second on the grid after the Sprint Qualifying. In an effort to bring the car back to Friday’s performance level, Mercedes made some setup adjustments before qualifying. Adjustments that, evidently, did not work well:
"We were in the fight for pole position during the Sprint Qualifying, but in the main qualifying session, we really struggled. It’s puzzling how our fortunes changed so drastically from one day to the next. It’s clear that when we find the car's sweet spot, we can compete for pole positions and victories. When we don’t, we’re at the back of the leading pack. In the Sprint Race, I lost a position at the start and pushed hard early on to regain it. Unfortunately, we then began to struggle with tire wear, and I dropped back. It was hard to understand, especially since our pace on Friday was good. We continued to struggle in qualifying, even though my last lap seemed good until I locked up in turn 12. Maybe I pushed too hard going into the corner, and perhaps I pushed too much in turn 19 to recover that time, losing the rear end. I’m disappointed by the damage I caused to the car and the work we’ll need to do to fix it".
Meanwhile, the case of the T-Tray that emerged at the start of the weekend seems to have been definitively closed within a few hours, at least according to FIA technical director Nicholas Tombazis. Whether we like it or not, the issue wraps up with the FIA's traditional cautious approach, refraining from intervening on past matters and setting clear boundaries for the future. This is good news for the rivals who have complained. McLaren Racing Team Principal Andrea Stella demonstrates a sportsmanlike acceptance of the resolution:
"At this stage of its development, the issue can be approached in different ways. You can close it or you can move forward. My specific viewpoint is that when these kinds of matters are in the hands of the FIA and the technical department, there are capable people who have more information than we do as a team and who have the tools to gather more information than we have".
So he adds:
"They have the necessary expertise, and as far as I’m concerned, I trust what they do. So, if the FIA believes the matter is closed, I accept their decision and move on. We as a team should try to be more respectful of the Federation, as their job is not easy. It’s one of those roles I wouldn’t want to be in, because they’re trying to prevent teams from finding ways to maximize performance. Sometimes these ways are found in the white area, other times in the gray area, and sometimes in the black area of the regulations. In this case, if a T-Tray adjustment had ever been made under parc fermé conditions, it would have been easy to say they were in the black area. But there’s been no evidence, so you can’t know if it ever happened or not".
Sergio Perez will be behind the wheel of the RB20 at the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday, October 27, 2024—this is now beyond any doubt. However, the situation for 2025 is different: despite the contract that formally binds the Mexican driver to the Milton Keynes-based team for the next season and even for 2026, his future remains uncertain. Helmut Marko confirmed this once again, insisting that Checo could lose his seat at the end of the year, following the United States Grand Prix qualifying session.
"Perez has a contract with us for 2025, and there will be no issues for him if he manages to deliver convincing performances. Formula 1 is a highly competitive sport. That’s why even Daniel Ricciardo was replaced. In the Sprint Race, Checo gained only one position, which is not exactly what we expected from him. The gap to Max was also very large in terms of lap times. Tsunoda fought well against the Haas cars, but in the end, he didn’t stand a chance because they were too fast on the straights. Lawson did very well from free practice, performing at the same level as Yuki or perhaps even better. He faced some challenges with track limits, but his performances were impressive, especially considering it was his first time on this circuit and his first time in the car after a long break. We can say that so far, it’s been a success, and it shows once again that giving opportunities to young drivers is worthwhile".
However, during the Austin event, Red Bull Racing is also focusing on the effects of the updates brought to Texas to address issues that were particularly evident in the car’s underbody, especially at Monza, which are now yielding positive results. The first and most noticeable outcome of this is Max Verstappen’s pole position in the Sprint Qualifying. This result pleased the Austrian manager, who attributes it mainly to the impact of the new technical update:
"It was thanks to the update, but also to Max’s qualities and the track itself. The direction of the technical updates seems to be working, and since Baku, we’ve managed to make progress, and this is the right time to introduce the final update package for the season. In practice, we’ve already seen that we can absolutely compete at the front, at least in terms of single-lap pace. We also expected Ferrari to be our strongest rival here, so from this perspective, Friday brought good news. There’s still a lot to be said about the long runs, but this circuit plays to our strengths: neither Baku nor Singapore suits Max or the team, but the fact that he managed to deliver a good lap at the crucial moment says a lot. The circuits remaining on this season’s calendar are neither slow nor tracks where we have to contend with curbs. So, I assume that the performance we showed in Austin should be possible at other circuits as well, although, of course, the differences at the front are minimal".
On Saturday, October 19, 2024, the mechanics of the Mercedes team, specifically those working with George Russell, did not seal the driver’s car two hours after the end of the qualifying session, continuing to work on the vehicle due to the British driver’s crash in qualifying under Parc Ferme conditions. As a result, George Russell, who qualified in sixth position, was forced to start the race from the pit lane.
On Sunday, October 20, 2024, at the start of the United States Grand Prix, Max Verstappen attempted an overtake on Lando Norris, but both drivers went off track. Charles Leclerc took advantage of this and moved into first position. Carlos Sainz Jr. also attempted to pass the Dutch driver but remained in third place. On the third lap, Lewis Hamilton went off into the runoff area at the penultimate corner. To remove his car, the race management deployed the safety car. After two laps, as the race resumed, Charles Leclerc maintained the lead, followed by Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz Jr., still behind the Dutch driver, reported a strong smell of fuel in his car over the radio to his engineers. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc extended his lead over Max Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz Jr., after resolving his power unit issues, began to close the gap to the Dutch driver. On lap 18, Sergio Pérez took eighth place after overtaking Yuki Tsunoda. In the following laps, the Mexican driver, capitalizing on the pit stops of Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly, climbed to sixth place. On lap 13, George Russell, making a comeback after starting from the pit lane, overtook Valtteri Bottas but was penalized with 5 seconds for the maneuver. On lap 22, Carlos Sainz Jr. pitted, and his mechanics fitted a set of Hard tires on his car. Three laps later, Max Verstappen also pitted as his tires appeared to show signs of wear. Upon rejoining the track, the World Champion found himself behind Carlos Sainz Jr. Charles Leclerc pitted on lap 27, allowing Lando Norris to take the lead, followed by Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, George Russell moved up to sixth place.
Subsequently, Charles Leclerc managed to pass Oscar Piastri, and as Lando Norris made his pit stop, Leclerc returned to the lead on lap 32. After 34 laps, Charles Leclerc led the race with a 7-second advantage over Carlos Sainz Jr., 11 seconds over Verstappen, and 17 seconds over Lando Norris. In the following laps, Lando Norris reduced the gap to Max Verstappen, approaching dangerously. The British driver attempted an overtake on the Dutch driver on lap 51 but was unsuccessful. However, on the following lap, the maneuver succeeded, though Lando Norris had to go off track to complete the overtake. In the final part of the race, Oscar Piastri also closed in on Max Verstappen but was unable to pose a serious challenge. On the penultimate lap, George Russell overtook Sergio Pérez, moving up to sixth place. Charles Leclerc takes the victory once again in the United States. The Monegasque driver managed to impose an undeniable dominance, starting from turn 1 with a fantastic triple overtake against Carlos Sainz Jr., Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris, and finishing under the checkered flag after a race spent almost entirely in the lead. Behind Charles Leclerc's car was Carlos Sainz Jr., securing a fantastic one-two for Scuderia Ferrari, which clearly had the best car on the track. Max Verstappen finished in third place, benefiting from a five-second penalty given to his friend and rival, Lando Norris. However, the Dutch driver deserved the result on track, beating Norris at the start once again, then defending for about ten laps to keep the faster McLaren behind, yielding only at the end when a move forced Lando Norris off track limits once again. With these few words, Charles Leclerc perfectly sums up what was essentially the decisive moment of the United States Grand Prix. The battle between the two main contenders for the Drivers' World Championship in turn 1 favored the third party: Charles Leclerc took the lead at the exit of turn 1 and never let go until the checkered flag.
"I knew Max would be tough with Lando at the start because he didn’t have much to lose, so I expected him to be aggressive. I had a great start, then positioned myself on the outside to prepare for the exit. This was a winning gamble, and I’m very happy—it helped us in the first stint where I could manage the tires and create a good gap. In the second stint, I just had to manage the lead, and that's what I did. The pace was very good, and I’m very happy because yesterday we struggled a bit, and it was hard to see our true pace, but I felt confident".
With five Grand Prix races and two Sprint Races still to go, Charles Leclerc sets his target for the end of the season: to try to make a comeback in the Constructors' World Championship standings.
"Today, with clean air in front, we were able to show our pace and maximize the weekend, so I’m very happy. We’re still far in the championship, with 48 points to make up. It’s a lot, but if we keep doing what we’re doing consistently, why not? I never stopped aiming for this goal, even in tougher times.
So he adds:
I want to stay optimistic and believe it’s possible, even though it will be difficult - we’ll have to do our best to try and become Constructors' World Champions. If we do everything right and continue to finish ahead of McLaren at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, we could be in the lead and win the title based solely on our performance. We were looking forward to this track as the ultimate test of the updates we brought from Monza to Singapore, and we got positive answers. The bouncing seems to have disappeared completely. Drivers' World Championship? Never say never, but unlike the Constructors' Championship, I’d need a bit of luck to get back into full contention for the Drivers' title".
Not only did he take the podium to collect the trophy awarded to Scuderia Ferrari as the winning team of the United States Grand Prix, but strategist Ravin Jain was undoubtedly one of the key players in the double win achieved by the Maranello team in Austin. It was largely thanks to an undercut that Carlos Sainz Jr. managed to overtake Max Verstappen in the race for second place behind Charles Leclerc. Thus, it is inevitable that both drivers credit the English engineer of Indian origin, who replaced Inaki Rueda as head of strategies at the beginning of 2023, for the excellent race management at the Circuit of the Americas.
"He was incredible, I have a lot of trust in Ravin. He did an excellent job and is quite young for such a position. But he’s always very, very calm, and this is really necessary for that kind of work. He can always manage emotions very well, which in the past was perhaps one of our weaknesses when it came to strategy. With Ravin, a lot has changed, and I think right now we have a very strong track team".
Carlos Sainz Jr. also acknowledges the engineer’s contribution to Ferrari's improvement in an area where the team has traditionally been lacking, but he also highlights the car’s improved performance:
"I believe Ravin deserves credit for the progress the Ferrari strategy team has made over the past two years. A lot of work has been done behind the scenes, and obviously, Jain has played a crucial role. Then, as I’ve said many times, having a good car on race day always helps make the strategy work, and it seems that this year we have a very strong car on Sundays. The best example is this weekend, where I had a car that allowed me to be the first to pit and extend the life of the Hard tire without degrading more than the others. This is something that has challenged me in the past, especially last year. I remember pitting on lap 14 of a 60-lap race in Singapore and still finishing the race. With any previous car, that wouldn’t have been possible. So, making bold strategic moves on race day wouldn’t have been easy, and we would have seemed crazier for trying them. This year, however, we have a car that consumes less rubber, making us more competitive in the race, giving us more flexibility and better opportunities to play with strategy".
Carlos Sainz Jr.'s emotions are mixed between joy and regret after his second place in Austin: happiness for a well-deserved podium finish and for the one-two by Scuderia Ferrari, which boosts the Maranello team in the Constructors' Championship standings, but regret for being beaten by his teammate, Charles Leclerc, who started from fourth position compared to the Spaniard's third. Being on the inside at turn 1 proved crucial for Charles Leclerc, while Carlos Sainz Jr. got caught up in the Verstappen-Norris duel.
"Congratulations to the whole team for the one-two and to Charles for a great win. From my perspective, given the pace I had yesterday and today, the goal was to win. I was unlucky to get stuck at the start, and that decided everything because it’s clear that once you’re third after the start, you have to overtake a Red Bull again".
The overtake on Max Verstappen happened in the pits, thanks to a smart undercut. However, in the first stint, Carlos Sainz Jr. faced some issues with the power unit:
"We had a power unit issue that made me lose DRS to Max a couple of times in the first stint. From that point on, I showed that I was very fast today, but it was a pity not to be able to make the most of it".
Before the end of the season, however, Carlos Sainz Jr.'s objective is clear:
"With the latest updates, it’s clear that the car is performing better: it’s more consistent and predictable. It allows us to be faster in the race - qualifying is not our strongest suit yet, but in the race, we are among the fastest, and I hope to have another chance to win this year because I want another win before leaving".
A spectacular Ferrari dominated the United States Grand Prix, but the man in charge of the Maranello team is already looking ahead to the next challenge. Frédéric Vasseur, staying true to his character, tempers the excitement when he sees too much enthusiasm in the garage and lifts spirits after a negative result. Luckily for Scuderia Ferrari, the Texas rodeo falls into the former case, so the French manager calls for calm and caution.
"The battle has been very close since the beginning of the year, and for small details, sometimes you are faster than the others, but we have to stay focused without thinking of ourselves as world champions because we’re not. We need to do a good job as we did this weekend, even next week in Mexico, where it will be a completely different story, considering the altitude. It will be a different challenge, and just because you’re fast in Austin doesn’t mean you’ll be fast in Mexico. But today, we did a good job - actually, we did well all weekend. We scored important points, which was crucial for us, and now we’ll start next week with this motivation. We need to stay calm because there are still five races left, and many points are up for grabs from now until the end, which means we could get more good results next week and the one after. With the Sprint races, we’ll have something like 200 points on the line, maybe even more. Everything is truly possible, but the most important thing is to focus on performance without thinking that it’s all done. Controversies? Let me enjoy this evening; we’ll address that next week. The whole weekend went well, we struggled a bit more only in qualifying due to our setup choice, knowing that overtaking is possible in Austin, but honestly, everything went well all weekend, and it’s a big step forward for us. In the sprint race, turn 1 is crucial because there aren’t many overtakes, today the story was different, and we knew it would be more about tire management. Our drivers did well from the start, they were very conservative at the beginning, and they did an extraordinary job".
The checkered flag marked the triumph of Scuderia Ferrari. However, regarding the title fight, the driver who truly came out on top seems to be Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver, holding off Lando Norris’s ambitions in the final stages of the race, gains another three points over his rival and now holds a 57-point advantage in the World Drivers' Championship. Moreover, there is now one less race to go, giving the World Champion more peace of mind. Although pleased with his battle victory against Lando Norris, the Dutch driver expected a better result than third place:
"I expected us to be more competitive, but I don't know why it was tougher than anticipated. We struggled to find the balance and I couldn’t attack in the corners, which is something we need to understand".
Regarding the duel with Lando Norris, who was penalized for an illegal overtake at Turn 15 (performed off-track), Max Verstappen is clear:
"In those corners, there have been similar incidents in the past, so it's pretty clear what is allowed and what isn’t. You can't go off the track: it’s painful, and I understand, but it was a good battle".
Christian Horner's words accompany those of Max Verstappen, saying:
"Congratulations to Ferrari; they had a great race from the start, and it’s a well-deserved result for them. We were slower than in the Sprint, and we need to understand why. I don't know if it was due to the temperatures or a change in setup, but instead of the usual rear-end issues we face in Texas, we struggled with the front. Verstappen drove brilliantly; there was the contested incident at the end, but the situation was clear, and the Stewards made a swift decision, a speed that all teams hope for. Overall, the weekend was very positive, we made great progress compared to Singapore, and gaining five points over our direct competitor in the standings is an excellent result. Now we head to Mexico, Sergio Perez’s home race".
The World Champion, who now heads to Mexico with a significant lead over his friend-rival Lando Norris, responded to complaints from the McLaren team, which disagreed with the 5-second penalty for the outside overtake at Turn 12. According to Lando Norris and McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella, Max Verstappen also committed an infraction, deliberately missing the braking point and thus going off-track to defend his position. However, the reigning World Champion disagrees with this interpretation and subtly references the recent controversies with the rival team over the T-Tray issue:
"I don't agree. I mean, lately, they’ve been complaining a lot, but in this case, the rules are very clear. You can't pass outside the white line. It has happened to me before. It was pointed out to me here as well, I think in 2017, when I lost my podium (back then, Raikkonen was promoted to third place). So, I stayed calm and tried my best to bring the car home, as it wasn’t easy with the tires and the situation I was in. But yes, overall, I enjoyed the battle we had. There was a gap on the inside, and I took advantage of it. That corner is very wide, so it gives you the chance to go wide or try a tighter line. I chose this option and still came out in second. I started second and exited Turn 1 in second place. This time, Charles was ahead, but I think it worked out well for me because Charles was faster and pulled away. From there, I focused on my race".
Third at the finish line but not on the podium. That’s how the United States Grand Prix ended for Lando Norris, who, after starting from pole position, found himself in fourth place today, following a 5-second penalty for overtaking Max Verstappen outside the track limits, which cost him the controversial sanction from the stewards. The English driver also paid the price for yet another mistake at the start and, above all, the significant time lost without being able to overtake his direct title rival in the final part of the race.
"He went wide too, came back, and gained an advantage. Max defended by going off the track and overtook off the track, but I’m not going to complain; he defended well and drove well. It wasn’t an easy decision, otherwise it could have come a bit sooner. I gave it a try. Verstappen also went off the track, and if he went off, it means he entered the corner too fast and gained an advantage. But I’m not the one making the rules".
Regardless of one’s opinion on the fairness of the penalty given to Lando Norris, many fans have one question: why didn’t the English driver immediately give back the position to Max Verstappen, thus avoiding the risk of a penalty, considering that the McLaren driver still had four laps to try to reclaim third place on track, and his car appeared much faster and more competitive than the RB20 at that moment?
The explanation comes from McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella, who took full responsibility for not asking Lando Norris to yield to his rival.
"Why didn’t Lando give back the position? Because from the pit wall, and under my responsibility - though there was full agreement among all those involved in this interpretation - we didn’t believe this situation needed to be investigated. If anything, we thought the investigation should focus on Max pushing Lando off-track. And that’s what we expected to happen when we saw that the case was under review. So, for us, there was no need to return the position because of this situation".
As expected, immediately after the conclusion of the United States Grand Prix, controversy erupted in the paddock over the disputed duel between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Mercedes took a very clear stance on the matter, indirectly involved since, at the beginning of the race, George Russell received a 5-second penalty for making a similar move at the same corner, overtaking Valtteri Bottas with striking similarities to Max Verstappen's defensive move. In that case, however, the driver on the inside who pushed the rival car wide was penalized. George Russell, speaking with Toto Wolff over the radio after the checkered flag, asked for information about the incident involving Max Verstappen.
"Did Verstappen receive a penalty for that maneuver?"
Toto Wolff responds:
"No, he didn’t receive any penalty. In the end, Lando received a penalty for being forced off and overtaking on the outside. I think the decision was a bit biased".
At the end of the race, Toto Wolff goes further, clearly suggesting that the FIA might be favoring Red Bull Racing:
"There’s inconsistency. With Valtteri, it wasn’t even a battle. Yesterday [in Saturday’s Sprint race], we saw some of these incidents, exactly the same, that weren’t penalized, and they were fighting for real positions. Receiving that penalty [given to Norris] is absolutely strange and bizarre. I think we know the reason, but of course, I can’t say it on television. Some [stewards] are very good. Some are doing their best, and we have to give credit to these guys".
A few hours later, reading the stewards' report, it becomes clear that - in the duel between the two title contenders - what made the difference was that Max Verstappen reached the apex ahead of Lando Norris:
"Car number 4 overtook on the outside but was not perfectly alongside car number 1 at the apex and therefore lost the ‘right of precedence’ in the corner. Since car number 4 then rejoined the track ahead of 1, it created a situation where leaving the track gave an advantage. A five-second penalty was issued instead of ten because, being on the outside, car number 4 had no room to maneuver differently as car number 1 was very close and also went off track. For all these reasons, this off-track action by Norris is not counted among the strikes that would later result in a penalty for not respecting track limits".
The fact that Max Verstappen went beyond track limits was counted among the strikes available before incurring a penalty. Switching topics, this United States Grand Prix can be considered one of the worst in Lewis Hamilton's Formula 1 career in terms of results. He was only P17 in Q1, which prevented him from proceeding to the next qualifying session. The British driver ended his race almost immediately after going off-track at turn 19, where he lost control of his W15 and ended up in the gravel:
"I wasn’t even pushing. I was literally just trying to keep going and get the tires up to temperature. The car started to bounce. The front left began to bounce, and the rear spun around, like what happened to Russell in qualifying".
George Russell, who raced with the older specification of the W15, had no issues during the race, which raised doubts in Lewis Hamilton’s mind about potential problems related to the new upgrades brought by Mercedes to Austin:
"It happened to me in FP1 as well. I had a spin at turn 3, which has never happened to me in all these years. George went back to the old car and did well, so maybe there’s something with the new upgrade".
On this matter, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff commented after the race:
"At the moment, it’s not 100% Lewis’s fault, and I don’t want to say that I’m protecting him. It’s clear that there was wind, and there was a slipstream. How does all this interact? The car is 100%. Lewis wasn’t even pushing at that point. We saw it on Saturday with George, who maybe pushed too much but still lost the car suddenly and hit the wall. Today, there was wind and a bit of dirty air from the car in front. We definitely have a problem. I don’t know if it was the same yesterday, but Hamilton doesn’t lose the car like that on the second lap".
Nonetheless, Wolff remains convinced that any issues with the W15 are not related to the new update package:
"I don’t believe there’s a fundamental problem; on the contrary, I think it’s about greater interaction, more aerodynamic and mechanical material. We will continue with the updates; there’s no point in stopping because there’s a lot of lap time being left on the table. But on the other hand, we need to be very open. Today, there was an incident in that corner that came out of nowhere; he wasn’t pushing at all".