There are actually simply six rounds remaining within the 2021 Components One World Championship, and solely six factors separating the highest two drivers, that means there is a good likelihood the title struggle will proceed proper to the top of the season.
The following battle is that this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, with the race making a return to the F1 calendar after sitting out final 12 months as a result of pandemic. It’s as soon as once more being held on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, which throughout the off 12 months noticed roughly 40% of its monitor resurfaced. As a result of the asphalt in some sections is so new, the floor will likely be bumpy.
The format of the three.43-mile monitor stays unchanged. It consists of an eclectic mixture of 20 corners, a few of them harking back to corners from previous and current F1 circuits. There are additionally extra quick corners than Spa-Francorchamps and extra sluggish corners than the Hungaroring—a mixture that makes this monitor an enormous problem for each groups and drivers. Nonetheless, the uphill hairpin of Flip 1 stands out as COTA’s signature nook.
Circuit of the Americas, house of the Components One United States Grand Prix
Unpredictable climate could be a problem right here, although this weekend’s forecast for Austin we must always see fantastic and surprisingly heat circumstances all through the weekend. Pirelli’s tire nomination for the weekend contains the C2 because the P Zero White exhausting, C3 because the P Zero Yellow medium, and C4 because the P Zero Crimson gentle.
Forward of the race, it has been confirmed that Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel will begin behind the grid as a result of his automotive receiving a brand new energy unit. Acura followers also needs to be on the look out for the Honda-powered vehicles of Crimson Bull Racing and its feeder crew AlphaTauri. Each groups’ vehicles will feature Acura branding this weekend.
Going into Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race, Crimson Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2021 Drivers’ Championship with 262.5 factors. Mercedes-Benz AMG’s Lewis Hamilton is in second with 256.5 factors, adopted by fellow Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in third with 177 factors. Within the Constructor’s Championship, Mercedes leads with 433.5 factors, versus the 397.5 factors of Crimson Bull and 240 factors of McLaren. The winner of the earlier race in 2019 was Bottas, driving for Mercedes.
