After just one free practice, qualifying is on the horizon. On Friday in Austin, the
Formula 1 drivers will attempt to set the fastest time and thus gain pole position for the
United States Grand Prix on Sunday. Who will secure the best starting position for the
F1 race? You can read it all in our live blog.
F1 LIVE | Qualifying United States Grand Prix
The pressure is off at Red Bull, but not for Perez
Max Verstappen and
Red Bull Racing are under no pressure with both the drivers' and constructors' world titles in the bag. But that is not the case for
Sergio Perez. All attention is now focused on securing second place in the drivers' championship, something Red Bull has not yet achieved since the team's debut in 2005.
Since
McLaren released a comprehensive update package in 2023 after a difficult start,
Lando Norris and
Oscar Piastri have been hot on the heels of the Austrian racing team. The latter even won the sprint race in Qatar, and it is therefore expected that the team from Woking will be the main challenger to the reigning world champions in Austin. However, they will have to keep an eye on their mirrors because
Ferrari and
Mercedes also want to score as many points as possible.
In 2022, Verstappen broke a record shared until then by
Michael Schumacher and
Sebastian Vettel. He won 15 races during the season, and few at the time thought it possible that that feat could be surpassed in the near future. Meanwhile, the Dutchman already stands at 14 wins in 2023 and could already match his own record in Austin. He could extend it further in the four F1 races to follow.
F1 arrives at the technical
Circuit of the Americas with five rounds left. It's a thrilling circuit with some sections that recall some of the most famous corners of the whole calendar, like Maggots and Becketts and Istanbul’s turn 8. However, this circuit still has some bumpy sections that could make these ground-effect cars quite unstable, making it tricky for the engineers to find the right setup.
The limited time (only an hour of practice on Friday) could strongly impact this weekend, as teams will need to make the car is as fast as possible around COTA, not only in qualifying but also in the race. This is a demanding track not only for tyre management but also for fuel consumption. Despite this, some teams have decided to bring some upgrades this weekend.