2021 Formula One United States Grand Prix

Haas F1 Formula 1 USA.jpg

Who will win the Formula One US Grand Prix?

  • Verstappen

    Votes: 1,075 60.2%

  • Hamilton

    Votes: 409 22.9%

  • Bottas

    Votes: 67 3.8%

  • Norris

    Votes: 74 4.1%

  • Pérez

    Votes: 59 3.3%

  • Sainz

    Votes: 11 0.6%

  • Leclerc

    Votes: 42 2.4%

  • Ricciardo

    Votes: 24 1.3%

  • Somebody else

    Votes: 24 1.3%
  • Total voters
    1,785
Formula 1 is in Austin, Texas this weekend for the United States Grand Prix, with the driver’s championship still very much up for grabs.

Only six races remain in the 2021 Formula 1 season, and the title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is still tightly contested. The two are separated by just six points entering this weekend, with Verstappen currently holding the lead.

This has been one of the closest battles for the driver’s championship in F1 history, with Hamilton and Verstappen and their respective Mercedes and Red Bull teams both assuming points leads in the championships at various times throughout the season.

The constructor’s championship is far from decided, but Mercedes’ current 30+ point lead seems to be the first sign of one team being the favourite to win so far this season. A late surge in the points from Valtteri Bottas has been the cause of the recent swing in Mercedes’s favour. His rival at Red Bull, Sergio Perez, has struggled lately but did join his teammate on the podium in Turkey.

Mid-pack, the exceptional season for McLaren has given the team in orange a 7.5 point advantage over their Ferrari rivals entering the last six races this year. The MCL35M looks to even have the speed to compete with the dominant Red Bull and Mercedes at various points in recent races. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will try and answer back in their Ferrari this weekend, coming off a race in Turkey where both finished in the top 10.

Track temperatures should be hot on Sunday for the race, with sunny conditions forecast and highs of over 30 degrees Celsius. Mercedes has won five of the last six F1 races held at Circuit of the Americas and will hope to put Hamilton on the top podium step to once again take the championship lead.

What’s your prediction for the 2021 US Grand Prix? Let us know in the comments below.
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About author
Mike Smith
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

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Comments

McGherkin
Premium
I don't get the hate for COTA. I quite like it as a track, I think it'd be one of the more fun ones to drive. For a start it actually has some elevation and you can actually overtake at the place instead of having to traffic jam your way around to avoid hitting the barriers of yet another street circuit. If you hate COTA, wait until you see Miami.

BOTH McLarens looking strong again which is good news for me. I think eventually RIC will get used to the Macca and they will look much stronger in the manufacturer's standings where they should be.

Mercs have clearly mastered the art of getting the aero to stall at high speed, done right it's as effective as DRS. All perfectly legal much to RB's chagrin. As always I just hope it's close.
 
J
paracletus said:
Good fight for championship, but I shouldn't be forced to watch a driver who flips the bird like a classless chav on the M4, or the other one who acts like a little girl and slaps them on the helmet.
Especially for any young kids watching, this is not the way to do it.

Race hard, but do it in a gentlemanly manner please.
Click to expand...

Good thing no one is forcing you to watch anything! :D
 
BP
Paul Glover said:
Max fans: Lewis should not have overtaken Max like that
Lewis fans: Max should have stayed in the queue and been patient and has no right to have a hissy fit.

Me: I bloody love this rivalry, it's turning into a phycological game and not just about the racing and it's only FP2.

TURN UP THE HEAT!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1451670334273372162
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but the way F1 replayed the whole thing on the short and extended highlights didn't even tell half the story and made HAM seem like he was at fault when it was quite the opposite. Here's the sequence of events after watching both driver cams on F1TV:

  • Both HAM and VER are setting up for a flying lap.
  • They both let LEC through as he was on a flying lap.
  • HAM has an Alpha Tauri ahead of him and slows as they both approach T15 single file.
  • Alpha Tauri takes T15 with HAM close behind.
  • HAM is about to turn in at T15 and VER sends it up the inside at the last second to overtake during HAM's turn-in. (OK fine, VER wants to be ahead...no problem...risked a collision there though)
  • VER, with Alpha Tauri ahead and HAM behind, sprint off single file through T16 - 18.
  • Alpha Tauri goes through T19 (second to last turn) at decent speed on continues on.
  • VER slows down considerably on the racing line, effectively brake checking HAM at the apex of T19. HAM waits behind him (2nd dangerous move by VER)
  • Between T19 and T20, VER speeds up and then brake checks again on the racing line (Possibly reacting to the flashing flag on the right, but still...another abrupt slowdown)
  • After second slowdown by VER ahead, HAM decides to overtake VER to start his flying lap. This happens at least 50 - 100m before pitlane entry line and far from the T20 apex (as opposed to what VER did previously at T15).
  • Seeing HAM overtake him, VER suddenly speeds up again and goes wheel to wheel with HAM right at the apex. He does this inches away from HAM and risks yet another collision during a practice session.
  • HAM exits the turn and tracks to the outside but within track limits (there is plenty of runoff space, so VER is in no danger of hitting a wall)
  • VER, now off track, continues challenging HAM while off track and the drag race to T1 ensues.
  • HAM gives VER space to re-enter but keeps on his flying lap. HAM is on the inside.
  • VER, on the outside line and with no way of doing a proper lap, backs off only when his engineer tells him to recharge.
  • After all that happened from T15 to T20, VER flips the bird and calls HAM a stupid idiot.

Yet, All F1 shows is the from the T20 apex where they're both side by side and makes it look like HAM cuts off VER, ignoring everything that happen 5 corners before. This narrative of HAM potentially being at fault is only emphasized by Verstappen's insult, hand gestures and his engineer's "ignore it, don't worry about it" comment.

If someone cuts you off at a corner and then brake checks you twice on the racing line just 10 seconds later, wouldn't you go around them at the earliest opportunity?

So...do we want to revisit the topic of VER being "so mature" and not at all hotheaded? Seriously... :rolleyes:
 
BrainsBush
I think you mean this example of the 'progressive rear suspension'. Is it pure downforce or a mechanical addition? BTW All teams seem to do/use this to a certain level. This new tech by Mercedes is next level (according to the experts). Funny that - like I wrote earlier- Mercedes still develops the present cars and not only focussing on 2022 cars. A lot of people claimed that Mercedes already stopped development of this seasons cars. No of course not they want to win also this season.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1451606633558298628
 
Last edited:
Zolazem
Premium
BP said:
I'm sorry but the way F1 replayed the whole thing on the short and extended highlights didn't even tell half the story and made HAM seem like he was at fault when it was quite the opposite. Here's the sequence of events after watching both driver cams on F1TV:

  • Both HAM and VER are setting up for a flying lap.
  • They both let LEC through as he was on a flying lap.
  • HAM has an Alpha Tauri ahead of him and slows as they both approach T15 single file.
  • Alpha Tauri takes T15 with HAM close behind.
  • HAM is about to turn in at T15 and VER sends it up the inside at the last second to overtake during HAM's turn-in. (OK fine, VER wants to be ahead...no problem...risked a collision there though)
  • VER, with Alpha Tauri ahead and HAM behind, sprint off single file through T16 - 18.
  • Alpha Tauri goes through T19 (second to last turn) at decent speed on continues on.
  • VER slows down considerably on the racing line, effectively brake checking HAM at the apex of T19. HAM waits behind him (2nd dangerous move by VER)
  • Between T19 and T20, VER speeds up and then brake checks again on the racing line (Possibly reacting to the flashing flag on the right, but still...another abrupt slowdown)
  • After second slowdown by VER ahead, HAM decides to overtake VER to start his flying lap. This happens at least 50 - 100m before pitlane entry line and far from the T20 apex (as opposed to what VER did previously at T15).
  • Seeing HAM overtake him, VER suddenly speeds up again and goes wheel to wheel with HAM right at the apex. He does this inches away from HAM and risks yet another collision during a practice session.
  • HAM exits the turn and tracks to the outside but within track limits (there is plenty of runoff space, so VER is in no danger of hitting a wall)
  • VER, now off track, continues challenging HAM while off track and the drag race to T1 ensues.
  • HAM gives VER space to re-enter but keeps on his flying lap. HAM is on the inside.
  • VER, on the outside line and with no way of doing a proper lap, backs off only when his engineer tells him to recharge.
  • After all that happened from T15 to T20, VER flips the bird and calls HAM a stupid idiot.

Yet, All F1 shows is the from the T20 apex where they're both side by side and makes it look like HAM cuts off VER, ignoring everything that happen 5 corners before. This narrative of HAM potentially being at fault is only emphasized by Verstappen's insult, hand gestures and his engineer's "ignore it, don't worry about it" comment.

If someone cuts you off at a corner and then brake checks you twice on the racing line just 10 seconds later, wouldn't you go around them at the earliest opportunity?

So...do we want to revisit the topic of VER being "so mature" and not at all hotheaded? Seriously... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Good example of making an elephant out of a fly. Move on!
 
muzikant
BP said:
I'm sorry but the way F1 replayed the whole thing on the short and extended highlights didn't even tell half the story and made HAM seem like he was at fault when it was quite the opposite. Here's the sequence of events after watching both driver cams on F1TV:

  • Both HAM and VER are setting up for a flying lap.
  • They both let LEC through as he was on a flying lap.
  • HAM has an Alpha Tauri ahead of him and slows as they both approach T15 single file.
  • Alpha Tauri takes T15 with HAM close behind.
  • HAM is about to turn in at T15 and VER sends it up the inside at the last second to overtake during HAM's turn-in. (OK fine, VER wants to be ahead...no problem...risked a collision there though)
  • VER, with Alpha Tauri ahead and HAM behind, sprint off single file through T16 - 18.
  • Alpha Tauri goes through T19 (second to last turn) at decent speed on continues on.
  • VER slows down considerably on the racing line, effectively brake checking HAM at the apex of T19. HAM waits behind him (2nd dangerous move by VER)
  • Between T19 and T20, VER speeds up and then brake checks again on the racing line (Possibly reacting to the flashing flag on the right, but still...another abrupt slowdown)
  • After second slowdown by VER ahead, HAM decides to overtake VER to start his flying lap. This happens at least 50 - 100m before pitlane entry line and far from the T20 apex (as opposed to what VER did previously at T15).
  • Seeing HAM overtake him, VER suddenly speeds up again and goes wheel to wheel with HAM right at the apex. He does this inches away from HAM and risks yet another collision during a practice session.
  • HAM exits the turn and tracks to the outside but within track limits (there is plenty of runoff space, so VER is in no danger of hitting a wall)
  • VER, now off track, continues challenging HAM while off track and the drag race to T1 ensues.
  • HAM gives VER space to re-enter but keeps on his flying lap. HAM is on the inside.
  • VER, on the outside line and with no way of doing a proper lap, backs off only when his engineer tells him to recharge.
  • After all that happened from T15 to T20, VER flips the bird and calls HAM a stupid idiot.

Yet, All F1 shows is the from the T20 apex where they're both side by side and makes it look like HAM cuts off VER, ignoring everything that happen 5 corners before. This narrative of HAM potentially being at fault is only emphasized by Verstappen's insult, hand gestures and his engineer's "ignore it, don't worry about it" comment.

If someone cuts you off at a corner and then brake checks you twice on the racing line just 10 seconds later, wouldn't you go around them at the earliest opportunity?

So...do we want to revisit the topic of VER being "so
Click to expand...

BP said:
I'm sorry but the way F1 replayed the whole thing on the short and extended highlights didn't even tell half the story and made HAM seem like he was at fault when it was quite the opposite. Here's the sequence of events after watching both driver cams on F1TV:

  • Both HAM and VER are setting up for a flying lap.
  • They both let LEC through as he was on a flying lap.
  • HAM has an Alpha Tauri ahead of him and slows as they both approach T15 single file.
  • Alpha Tauri takes T15 with HAM close behind.
  • HAM is about to turn in at T15 and VER sends it up the inside at the last second to overtake during HAM's turn-in. (OK fine, VER wants to be ahead...no problem...risked a collision there though)
  • VER, with Alpha Tauri ahead and HAM behind, sprint off single file through T16 - 18.
  • Alpha Tauri goes through T19 (second to last turn) at decent speed on continues on.
  • VER slows down considerably on the racing line, effectively brake checking HAM at the apex of T19. HAM waits behind him (2nd dangerous move by VER)
  • Between T19 and T20, VER speeds up and then brake checks again on the racing line (Possibly reacting to the flashing flag on the right, but still...another abrupt slowdown)
  • After second slowdown by VER ahead, HAM decides to overtake VER to start his flying lap. This happens at least 50 - 100m before pitlane entry line and far from the T20 apex (as opposed to what VER did previously at T15).
  • Seeing HAM overtake him, VER suddenly speeds up again and goes wheel to wheel with HAM right at the apex. He does this inches away from HAM and risks yet another collision during a practice session.
  • HAM exits the turn and tracks to the outside but within track limits (there is plenty of runoff space, so VER is in no danger of hitting a wall)
  • VER, now off track, continues challenging HAM while off track and the drag race to T1 ensues.
  • HAM gives VER space to re-enter but keeps on his flying lap. HAM is on the inside.
  • VER, on the outside line and with no way of doing a proper lap, backs off only when his engineer tells him to recharge.
  • After all that happened from T15 to T20, VER flips the bird and calls HAM a stupid idiot.

Yet, All F1 shows is the from the T20 apex where they're both side by side and makes it look like HAM cuts off VER, ignoring everything that happen 5 corners before. This narrative of HAM potentially being at fault is only emphasized by Verstappen's insult, hand gestures and his engineer's "ignore it, don't worry about it" comment.

If someone cuts you off at a corner and then brake checks you twice on the racing line just 10 seconds later, wouldn't you go around them at the earliest opportunity?

So...do we want to revisit the topic of VER being "so mature" and not at all hotheaded? Seriously... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Verstappen is always guily this bad guy.... no any respect for the GOAT its a shame
 
Last edited:
R
Mercedes is replacing engines for Valtteri like he is collecting F1 engines for his future retirement hobby. I have read somewhere that a team is only allowed to replace an engine if it is for reliability reasons. Can someone confirm that is true? And if so why does Mercedes get away with it, because I don’t believe a word of that ’reliability problems’ story Toto is telling to the press. Mercedes have had a very good record concerning engine reliability in the last couple of years.
 
Appie Kuipers
paracletus said:
Good fight for championship, but I shouldn't be forced to watch a driver who flips the bird like a classless chav on the M4, or the other one who acts like a little girl and slaps them on the helmet.
Especially for any young kids watching, this is not the way to do it.

Race hard, but do it in a gentlemanly manner please.
Click to expand...
Sure, Messi is a great soccerplayer, but you can tackle him, that’s the sport.
 
paracletus
It’s not good for the sport. You’d never see Sir Stirling Moss, Nigel Mansell or Graham Hill flipping the bird on the racetrack or acting with such indecorum in front of the crowds.

These entitled gen z hotshots would do well to take a look at how the true greats conducted themselves. These brats are massively paid role models, representing the brand and the sport and have a responsibility to act appropriately.
 
Zolazem
Premium
paracletus said:
It’s not good for the sport. You’d never see Sir Stirling Moss, Nigel Mansell or Graham Hill flipping the bird on the racetrack or acting with such indecorum in front of the crowds.

These entitled gen z hotshots would do well to take a look at how the true greats conducted themselves. These brats are massively paid role models, representing the brand and the sport and have a responsibility to act appropriately.
Click to expand...

Maybe table tennis or golf is a better sport for you to follow.

Six F1 title fights that turned into war

Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell (1986-1987) ...
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (2013-2016) ...
Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher (1994-1995) ...
Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) ...
Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve (1982) ...
Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost (1988-1990)
 
PegaMixel
Zolazem said:
Maybe table tennis or golf is a better sport for you to follow.

Six F1 title fights that turned into war

Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell (1986-1987) ...
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (2013-2016) ...
Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher (1994-1995) ...
Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) ...
Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve (1982) ...
Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost (1988-1990)
Click to expand...

This is overexaggerated by a long shot, 397 to 199 points isn't exactly what i would call a title fight and to be fair, the only "war" between Vettel and Webber that year was Malaysia. The rest of the year was pretty dull between the two.
 

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