It is one of the most highly anticipated races of the season, with high expectations of both the track and race.
F1 returns to the United States after a few years away, with a dedicated and permanent home in Austin. Here's my preview, looking at the track and what to expect.
After a four year break, the US has a new Grand Prix. Previous races in Indianapolis have been plagued by tyre issues, for example the 2005 race. Seven years ago, just six cars lined up on the grid to race in the United States Grand Prix. All of these cars were on the Bridgestone tyre compound (remember this was the time of the "tyre war" between Bridgestone and Michelin). After a number of dangerous tyre failures, including a heavy crash for Ralf Schumacher on the banking for the second year in a row, the Michelin runners pulled in to the pits at the end of the warm up lap.
Just six cars raced in that Grand Prix, and the remaining two events staged at "Indy" did not produce the drama and more importantly money to stage the event for any longer. It was bye bye to Indy, and bye bye to Formula 1 in America.
However this year F1 will return to American soil on the brand new Austin track in Texas. The circuit is 3.427 miles long and offers 20 challenging corners. Drivers have 56 laps of close to constant direction changes, with just a few breaks on the long straights. One thing that is obvious about the Hermann Tilke designed circuit is the undulation. Up and down, its what we love! Its rare to see a circuit with so many undulation changes, just look at turn 1. On the run to it, the sight is like a wall of tarmac.
The lap starts with a short straight, climbing up the "wall of tarmac" and in to a very slow, tight, blind left hand hairpin.Turn two is a flat out right, while the following four corners resemble the famous Maggots/Beckett's complex at Silverstone. Turn seven is a medium speed left kink, which is followed by the fast right and left that make up turn eight and nine. The 10th corner of the circuit is a fast left and leads on to a short straight, where the cars go downhill and in to the wide hairpin, one of the best overtaking places on the circuit. A long back straight follows, a feature all Tilke designed tracks have. This is where the DRS zone is and will be a very important part of the track for overtaking, as the corner it leads to is a sharp left. The next part of the track is very tricky and technical. Turn 13 is a 90 degree right, with another right following that. Turn 15 is a triple apex left, but you avoid the first two to hit the final one. A short straight leads the cars on to the sweeping turn 16, 17 and 18. This is meant to resemble turn eight at Istanbul Park circuit, but it is taken at a slightly higher speed and is less of a challenge. The lap ends with a fast left and the final 90 degree corner of turn 20, a tricky left with the pit entry to the inside.
There is no doubt that the circuit is a challenge, but the track also boosts top notch facilities and stunning views and scenery, particularly from the turn 1 viewpoint. Many drivers have praised the first impressions of the track layout, or though I'm sure there will be a few small changes made like there are with any other new circuit.
So Austin is the new home of F1. After a break from the sport, lets hope the USA still has that enthusiasm for the sport that we saw in the past.
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| (c) Circuit of the Americas |
After a four year break, the US has a new Grand Prix. Previous races in Indianapolis have been plagued by tyre issues, for example the 2005 race. Seven years ago, just six cars lined up on the grid to race in the United States Grand Prix. All of these cars were on the Bridgestone tyre compound (remember this was the time of the "tyre war" between Bridgestone and Michelin). After a number of dangerous tyre failures, including a heavy crash for Ralf Schumacher on the banking for the second year in a row, the Michelin runners pulled in to the pits at the end of the warm up lap.
Just six cars raced in that Grand Prix, and the remaining two events staged at "Indy" did not produce the drama and more importantly money to stage the event for any longer. It was bye bye to Indy, and bye bye to Formula 1 in America.
However this year F1 will return to American soil on the brand new Austin track in Texas. The circuit is 3.427 miles long and offers 20 challenging corners. Drivers have 56 laps of close to constant direction changes, with just a few breaks on the long straights. One thing that is obvious about the Hermann Tilke designed circuit is the undulation. Up and down, its what we love! Its rare to see a circuit with so many undulation changes, just look at turn 1. On the run to it, the sight is like a wall of tarmac.
The lap starts with a short straight, climbing up the "wall of tarmac" and in to a very slow, tight, blind left hand hairpin.Turn two is a flat out right, while the following four corners resemble the famous Maggots/Beckett's complex at Silverstone. Turn seven is a medium speed left kink, which is followed by the fast right and left that make up turn eight and nine. The 10th corner of the circuit is a fast left and leads on to a short straight, where the cars go downhill and in to the wide hairpin, one of the best overtaking places on the circuit. A long back straight follows, a feature all Tilke designed tracks have. This is where the DRS zone is and will be a very important part of the track for overtaking, as the corner it leads to is a sharp left. The next part of the track is very tricky and technical. Turn 13 is a 90 degree right, with another right following that. Turn 15 is a triple apex left, but you avoid the first two to hit the final one. A short straight leads the cars on to the sweeping turn 16, 17 and 18. This is meant to resemble turn eight at Istanbul Park circuit, but it is taken at a slightly higher speed and is less of a challenge. The lap ends with a fast left and the final 90 degree corner of turn 20, a tricky left with the pit entry to the inside.
There is no doubt that the circuit is a challenge, but the track also boosts top notch facilities and stunning views and scenery, particularly from the turn 1 viewpoint. Many drivers have praised the first impressions of the track layout, or though I'm sure there will be a few small changes made like there are with any other new circuit.
So Austin is the new home of F1. After a break from the sport, lets hope the USA still has that enthusiasm for the sport that we saw in the past.
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