It’s been a long two years, but this weekend Formula One finally returned to Austin. In a fast-paced and exciting race it was Max Verstappen who came out on top, retaining his lead in the Driver’s Championship for another week.
A brilliant start from second place starter Lewis Hamilton put the Mercedes driver briefly into first place, before he was caught by rival Verstappen who would go on to lead and eventually win the race. His Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished in an excellent third place considering the Mexican driver has been unable to access his drinks bottle after the first lap.
Ferrari were able to showcase their new and improved power unit with a dominating 4th place finish by Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, who finished the race 25 seconds ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in 5th. Carlos Sainz, however, had a slightly more challenging race following a slow pit stop which left the Spaniard at a disadvantage, being overtaken by McLaren rival Ricciardo, and by Mercedes driver Valterri Bottas at the end of the race.
Ferrari’s constructor rivals McLaren had a difficult weekend in comparison, with Lando Norris only being able to achieve 8th place while teammate Daniel Ricciardo was in 5th. However, the British-based team remain in 3rd place in the Constructors championship for the time being – although Ferrari draw ever closer.
An unfortunate race day for Pierre Gasly began with questions of whether or not he would be able to start the race after his Alpha Tauri detected suspension issues. Although the Frenchman started the race, he soon retired the car due to the suspension problems. In comparison, teammate Yuki Tsunoda had a perfect race, showcasing impressive talents on track and finishing in ninth place.
All in all, at a race with 140,000 spectators, it was an excellent return to the United States for Formula One – it is clear that the sport is making waves across the country, which makes next year’s debut race in Miami all the more exciting.
Race weekend report
The fight for the 2021 World Driver’s Championship remains as close as ever. The weekend began with a 6 point gap in Max Verstappen’s favour, over the reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton. By the end of the weekend after an intense final few laps, heading to Mexico for the Mexican GP, Verstappen now leads his rival with 12 points.
The weekend started off a little bit tense with Verstappen and Hamilton in FP2 fighting for position, getting their racing started early. The Dutchman was also caught up in traffic in that same session, which left him unhappy in 8th position.
Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso all took penalties for changing engines, meaning all three would start from the back of the grid. Aston Martin planned to use Vettel to give his teammate, Lance Stroll slipstream to help him qualify for Q3, but ultimately their plan failed as Lance Stroll was knocked out in Q1 while Vettel made it to Q2.
There was the challenge of who would finish higher among the three penalty takers, Vettel came out on top as Russell’s deleted lap time in Q2 meant he would start at the very back of the grid.
The fight for pole position was close between the two championship protagonists but Verstappen left it late to clinch the top spot from Hamilton, while Perez made it a 1-3 for Red Bull and Valterri Bottas’ 5 place engine penalty meant he would start 9th after qualifying in 4th.
The race proved to be a great one, as all of the races this year have seemed to do. From lights out to the chequered flag we saw plenty of action along the way. It was revealed at the end of the race that Sergio Perez was left without water the entire race, in the scorching hot weather of Austin, Texas which left the driver fatigued. His strength and determination under these conditions which earned him 3rd place, only highlighted his excellent drive, nonetheless.
The USGP was watched worldwide, F1 attracted many celebrities who attended the race. The likes of Serena Williams, Ben Stiller, Rory McIlroy, Shaquille O’Neal and Megan Thee Stallion were all present for the action-packed race. The basketball star, Shaquille O’Neal even presented a trophy on the podium.
There has still been very little information revealed about Antonio Giovanazzi’s future in F1, with many reports insisting that F2 driver Guanyu Zhou will be his replacement next year. There is still plenty of time for Alfa Romeo to decide the future of the team, but pressure is piling as they are the only team left to name a complete driver line-up for 2022.
The Mexican GP will take place on the 5th to 7th November, on a track that typically suits Red Bull, will Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes be able stop their rivals from stretching their lead?
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