Paul Jeffrey

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Welcome to the official discussion thread of the 2019 FIA Formula One United States Grand Prix.


Lewis Hamilton could very well seal an historic fifth World Championship this weekend should he outscore Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel by more than eight points, a very real possibility at a circuit where the British Mercedes driver has triumphed on the last four occasions.

The Circuit of the Americas isn't everyone's cup of tea it has to be said, but with the title race now almost a foregone conclusion, and much of the field left fighting for pride, the race on Sunday will surely be a hard fought affair as each of the drivers looks to stand out from their rivals on track.

Can Mercedes and Hamilton wrap it up this weekend? Will Ferrari save some much needed face following the Suzuka disaster? Will the race actually be entertaining for a change? Not long to go until we find out...

Session Report Links
 
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Paul Jeffrey

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DRIVERS – Daniel RICCIARDO (Red Bull Racing), Fernando ALONSO (McLaren), Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Romain GROSJEAN (Haas)


PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Lewis, we’re going to start with you. You’ve been hugely successful here in the past and it looks like they’ve had you busy here as well this week, so just talk us through what you’ve been up to in New York this week?

Lewis HAMILTON: It’s just been the normal promotion stuff. I was there with IWC and with the team at the NASDAQ conference that we had… and then a bunch of other TV stuff I just did.

Q: Well, America seems to be a place you have quite an affinity with, and you’ve won the last four races here, as well as the Drivers’ title in 2015. Does it feel like it’s all coming together again for a repeat this weekend?

LH: Not particularly, no. It just feels like another race weekend we have, and we want to win, so it’s a simple goal for us, we just arrive to try and do the same thing. The weather is up and down and our goal is really just to perform as we have in previous races, we’re not thinking about it in any other way.

Q: Thank you. Fernando, you’ve got a huge following here in America after your Indycar exploits, but how special will this final US race in Formula 1 be for you this weekend?

Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, it’s always special racing here, with all the fans. Hopefully we’ll have a good show on the weekend. As Lewis said, the weather is a bit up and down on Friday and Saturday especially, hopefully that will mix things a little bit and we’ll see a good race on Sunday. In our case I think we different targets, to try to score points after two races out of the points. It’s going to be challenging but we’ll try.

Q: You’ve spent a fair bit of time in America this year. Will you be spending even more time here next year? Can you tell us anything about your 2019 plans?

FA: Yeah, I don’t have 21 races in F1 to travel around to, so with more free time I will come to the States… for a holiday. A little bit more.

Q: How about from a racing perspective?

FA: Let’s see. As I said many times, the Indy 500 is still very attractive, as it was last year, and after winning Le Mans this year, it’s even more attractive to try to achieve it in the short term. Still working on plans for next year and as soon as they are finalised you will know.

Q: Daniel, you also seem to really enjoy it over here. We’ve seen you’ve been at a Longhorns game this weekend. Is this one of your favourite events of the season?

Daniel RICCIARDO: Yeah, it is. I love it. I don’t know, I’ve always enjoyed coming here. The football was a really cool experience. It’s amazing how many people go to a college game, how the capacity is that alone. It’s cool to experience new things and yeah, I’ve had a good week!

Q: Well, this season you’ve had two race victories but no podiums alongside that. Is it realistic to expect you to change that record here this weekend.

DR: Yeah, I think so. I think we’ll have a decent car around here. It’s weird, yeah I know, that I haven’t had any actual podiums. So yeah, we’ll try to make it happen. Last year I was going pretty strong in the race but then we had to stop with some mechanicals. It’s definitely a fun track to race on. I enjoy Austin alone, but the circuit as well is really good for racing. You can overtake and it’s pretty unique, so I’m happy if it’s kind of wet for Friday and Saturday but I kind of feel if the race is dry Sunday it will still be pretty exciting.

Q: Thank you. Romain, we’ve talked about the affinity these guys have with America, but it’s a home race for Haas, and you’ve got just four races left to try to overhaul Renault in the Constructors’ Championship. So us there a lot of pressure on this weekend?

Romain GROSJEAN: I think the pressure is always on, to be fair. Different levels, obviously for the top guys to win the championship, and for us to go and try to get Renault in the Constructors’. It’s a great weekend, it’s going to be very busy, a lot of marketing commitments, but I think it’s a good that we’re here, racing here for an American team and coming this year with a competitive car compared to the first two years us great.

Q: If I could just ask you about your own form. You had a tough start to the season, but then I think you scored 31 points in the last nine races. Just how did you go about turning that around?

RG: Thirty-nine. I got eight stolen in Monza.

DR: He’s not still bitter!

RG: No, I think everything is going great since Germany. It was a rough start to the season and things didn’t go my way. A bit of bad luck and bit of mistakes and all together it makes like a snowball effect. At one point I managed to stop that and come back to where I wanted to be. I’m really enjoying driving the car. I think we’ve had some really good races and I’m looking forward to the four last ones and here especially.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-Magazin.com) Lewis, I know you’re not looking at the championship all the time, but if we would do an overlay from last years championship to this year’s championship it was pretty tight all season but then after the summer break the car and you personally, you really kicked off. Is this just a coincidence or is there anything – that you are understanding the tyres better, the team is understanding the car better? What is your explanation for that?

LH: Yeah, it’s probably just a coincidence that it’s exactly the same but we are improving the car the whole year long. We are improving our knowledge of the car and how to get the most out of it. If we knew what we knew in the second half we would do a lot better at the beginning. That’s just how it is in the sport. That’s how it always is. It’s been the same since I started in 2007. I think it’s probably the same for everyone. Not really much more else to say.

Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, Racefans.net) For all of you, though Fernando I know this doesn’t really affect you for next year. The 2019 regulations state that the drivers weighing under 80 kilos will be ballasted up to 80 kilos, that ballast to be carried within the sort of cockpit area. How do you feel about that? Is that correct or should drivers be allowed to take advantage of their physique, as they can in other sporting activities?

DR: I personally feel that they are just getting us prepared for more races in America.

LH: NASCAR.

DR: All of us will enjoy our food a little more! I’m not complaining about it. It’s not like we’re going to, let’s say, take the piss, it’s more just a lot of us now tend to starve ourselves on race weekends and even training we can’t really do much strength training because we would just put on mass. I think it will just allow us to train harder, eat harder… Eat harder? Eat more. But it’s not like we’re going to have beer bellies or anything, we’re just going to be stronger and I think that’s only a good thing.

LH: I disagree. I think there are going to be some people with bigger bellies.

DR: Well, the small guys can afford to do everything!

Q: Romain, your thoughts on the weight?

RG: I think it’s a great thing. I’ve been the same as… Daniel and Lewis are quite tall. I think it hasn’t been great to starve ourselves and not eat as want to, so a few kilos of margin is going to be great. It will be a challenge for the team, because getting to the minimum weight for the regulation with the 80 kilos for seat and driver together is going to be tricky, but on the other hand it’s going to make our lives an awful lot better.

Lewis, any further thoughts?

LH: I think it’s great. It’s definitely going to open the doors up for people like Will Ferrell and all those who weigh a lot more to come in! It’s always been something we’ve all worked hard to keep in shape and it has been something we’ve worked really hard at; to make sure we’re not overweight. I guess we can eat more pancakes. I think we will prepare more and we can all be a little bit stronger next year. I guess for the people who are struggling to come under the weight; for example there are some of the taller drivers who struggle to be less than 80 kilos. I guess it doesn’t really make much difference for them otherwise.

Q: Fernando, you won’t be racing here next year, but you have raced in other categories where weight balances are different. Do you think this is a good move for Formula 1?

FA: Yeah, I think it is. In Formula 1, I’m obviously not one of the tallest, so it’s more a question for the tall guys and I think it’s fair for everyone, so I think it’s good. In other series, in WEC in particular, where the weight is free, that normally gives and advantage to the lighter and smaller guys, and probably that is unfair in a way, so I think Formula 1 is doing great on that.

DR: Ricky Bobby.

LH: Ricky Bobby.

DR: I caught it, it’s alright.

LH: I noticed. No one else watched Talladega Nights. Ricky Bobby. No? Overweight NASCAR driver. NASCAR drivers can now come over to Formula 1, which is cool.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Daniel, we know you’ve not had the smoothest season, you’ve talked about that before. Your 2019 team, Renault, hasn’t had the smoothest end to the year either: they’ve been quite honest about falling behind on the engine side and the car side. That situation’s changed, obviously, since you agreed to join them. How much of a concern has it been watching their performance, and how encouraging is it to hear they’re planning an all-new engine for next year?

DR: It’s encouraging, obviously. When I signed, I knew that there was work ahead but I know that they’re putting a lot of effort into making things better and expanding a lot of departments and trying to make ’19 stronger and ’20 and whatever. Yeah, the way the last few races have been this year, obviously, it would be nice to see them improve every race and whatever but I honestly don’t look into it too much yet. I think ’19 is a new car and it’s going to be a fresh start again, so I’m not spending too much energy on that at the moment. Obviously, all I can do is, once my year’s done is try to be fully immersed into it all and try to help as much as I can and see how things go from there.

Q: (Jon Massengale – Speed City) We’ve got a lot of American fans excited about the Haas F1 team, the momentum they have coming into Austin for good points – but all four of you up there talk about excited to race in the United States. I want to ask, what can we do to continue the momentum to grow the sport here in the United States?

RG: Well, I think, to me the obviously, answer is to get more races in the US. I think most of the time it’s really hard for the audience to watch the grands prix, it’s the middle of the night. It’s not easy to grow the fan base. I think more races in the US. I think races a bit more exiting as well. If you look at NASCAR, you never know who’s going to win the race. In Formula One I can tell you it’s going to be the Mercedes or Ferrari winning on Sunday. I think that could be improved – but definitely more races in the US to get closer to the fans would be the first thing.

Lewis, your thoughts on how we can grow it here?

LH: I agree with what he said. We do have the one race and this is a big, big country with a lot of sporting heritage. They love intensely-fought games but also have something to look forward to – because there’s a build-up to multiple games. We only have that one race here, so the people, for example in this city or people in the close States that fly over for this one grand prix, which happens once a year, it’s like a festival. You can’t really get too excited about one festival in a season. So, that’s probably something that Liberty will be working on for the future.

Fernando, your thoughts?

FA: More or less the same. Try to get more races here, hopefully one American driver into F1 soon, and that will help. I think it will take a little bit of interest into the sport and have a little bit more unpredictable races is more or less what they have here. To have people expecting the unexpected until the end.

And Daniel, your thoughts on growing the sport here.

DR: I have to agree with all that. Currently they don’t have an American driver. We can do our best to put on an accent and fill those boots. [Approximation of Texan accent] I can try all I can – I don’t know how these boys can do it but I’ll give it a red-hot crack and see how we go.

We wondered how long it would be before you did that…

DR: It was only a matter of time!

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis, what’s your explanation for how you’ve taken off, collectively, since the summer break. Is it just stepping forward with the car? Is it personally? Is it mistakes from the opposition? What is it? What’s the biggest factor do you think?

LH: I haven’t really thought about it much. It’s a combination of so many things. Naturally, as a driver, you do improve. Or, at least, I’ve noticed in myself, I can’t speak for everyone – but I’ve noticed I improve throughout the year. How you conduct yourself, how you perform within the team, how you’re able to maximise in the car. If you go back through all the years, you know I always say that by the second half of the season I should be better, and most of the time that’s usually the case. I think also, as a team, we’ve collectively done a better job in every area. And then, the other side, for sure, has not done as good a job in that respect, coming into the second phase. So, I don’t really have a massive explanation for it. My knowledge is as good as yours in that sense.

Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) Lewis, you said you’re concentrating one race at a time – but you do stand on the brink of winning a fifth World Championship. What does that mean to you, were you to do that this weekend here in Austin?

LH: Again, really as a team, none of us are saying how cool it would be if it happened this weekend or the next, we’re not focussing on ifs. We’re focussing on making sure that we deliver. There’s still 100 points available. We can just never be complacent in life, and in a Championship as intense as this. We expect Ferrari to punch back hard here this weekend, so we can’t be relaxed in any way, shape or form. We’ve got to make sure we come here and raise the bar again. So, I’m definitely not thinking this weekend, how’s it going to feel if we do the job. Because I’ve got to do the job and that just adds more pressure and you just don’t need more pressure. So, focussing on making sure that I drive the best that I’ve driven all year long and we get the car where we need to get it. It’s going to be wet, I think, all day tomorrow, as far as I’ve heard, and potentially on Saturday, so it’s going to be a tricky weekend. So, nothing is a given.

Q: (Jim Vertuno – AP) Lewis, given that this season has been a chase for a fifth championship, what does the name Fangio mean to you, his place in history and can you imagine yourself trying to drive the cars he muscled around the track back in his era?

LH: Imaging myself driving some of those cars back then? I have driven some of those cars. Stirling Moss’s car I’ve had a go in, some of the Silver Arrows they had, around the old Monza circuit, for example, with Sir Stirling, which is pretty intense. It’s always really strange to hear the drivers’ mental philosophy back then. Sir Stirling would say you’d want to fall out if the car’s going to crash: you hope that you get thrown out the car. It’s a much more confined space for us. It’s all about being stuck in and being safe. I would have… I don’t know if the 50s was a particularly good time, wasn’t a great time for black people either, so probably wouldn’t have been racing back then, but I’m grateful to be in this era and with the technology that we have and seeing the cars advance. I’m so grateful to be part of this era. Fangio is always… he’s like the godfather of the drivers’ sport for us. He’s the godfather for us, one of the greats from the beginning and will always be admired in the sport. It is crazy to think that I’m embarking on a similar number of championships that he had.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Fernando, just on Lewis, when you first met him in 2007, did you think this guy would have the credentials to go on and match Fangio, win five titles and all the races? And Lewis, we saw you issued a post in Instagram, just defending Sebastian. Do you think his criticism has been a bit unjust this year?

FA: Well, probably at that time it was difficult to image what the future could bring for Lewis, and for any of the guys on the grid. But yeah, definitely, he had showed the talent from day one, and fighting for the Championship in his rookie year, winning in 2008. Probably at that time, we all agree that five or seven World Championships will be possible. Then, obviously, was a little bit down due to the performance of the car for a couple of years. And then, yeah, switching to Mercedes at that time, we all were thinking that maybe was not positive – because at that time Mercedes was struggling in 2013, and things like that. So, it’s up and down, the feelings. I’m happy for him because he showed the talent from day one. He was able to win races when the car was there to win it but he was able to win races in some of the seasons when the car was not in the top of the form, like 2009 and things like that, he’s still winning a couple of grand prix a year. It’s impressive – and now it’s time to enjoy for him, so I’m happy.

And Lewis, your comments defending Sebastian after Japan?

LH: I think if I was in the same position they would probably do the same thing so it’s more as drivers we are all members of the GPDA and I think we all just need to stick together and I think the respect that we have for one another I think is probably the greatest that it’s been for many years. At least in the years that I’ve been in Formula One. I think ultimately as a four-time World Champion, it is the most intense year that we’ve had. So every hiccup is magnified, naturally, as it is perhaps in any sport at the top. But there have been many – or several – times that I’ve been in the firing range and Seb’s always been really respectful and supported me, so I thought it was only just to do the same.
 

Paul Jeffrey

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USGP Press Conference 2.jpg


Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Two questions, the first for Lewis. Can you explain to us why you do love America so much? And the second one for Fernando; can you give us your top five of the World Champions and what does it mean for you to have one driver equalling Fangio with five titles?


LH: I don’t know if I love it more than everyone else loves it. So many people come out here and… I grew up watching… movies are something I’m massively into… grew up watching these great movies which were filmed here in the States and then dreaming, as a kid, of one day coming to the States: I think it wasn’t until I was 17 and I finally went to New York and loved it and the more and more time I spend out here the more I enjoy it. I love the big roads they have, they do everything generally bigger and better in most cases. They’ve just got some great cities, good energy, good people, music is the centre of the universe for entertainment here so there’s many many reasons. The food is great, they’ve got the best pancakes out here.

FA: I guess it’s difficult to do the top five.

LH: Yourself?

FA: Not really! Probably Michael, Fangio, Senna, Prost, Lewis, probably this will be the top five, probably, that come to my mind but it’s difficult to compare different times and different ways to win those championships. Lewis winning five now and being the same as Fangio, as I said before, it’s a great achievement and if one had to do that in our generation, I’m happy that it’s Lewis because he showed the talent and he showed the commitment, as I said before, when the car was dominating he delivers and won the championship. When the car was not good enough to win the championship, he still put in some performances to show his talent and that’s difficult to see in our days.

Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, Racefans.net) Fernando’s already been to Indianapolis but when we as a motor sport of community think of the US we generally think of the Indianapolis 500. A lot of Formula One World Champions, race winners etc have actually raced at Indianapolis. Could you imagine yourselves ever racing there?

DR: Yes and no. The thought of it sounds good. Ovals creep me out a little bit. I won’t lie. It would be cool. I don’t know. I would at least like to have a go, like maybe just a test. Let’s see how things go but yeah, it was cool watching Fernando do it, don’t get me wrong and part of me was like trying to picture myself being there and doing it but yeah, maybe one day. At the moment I don’t say it’s something I’m looking to do in the near future. I don’t know. Probably the older I get, the more scared I’ll become, so if it doesn’t happen now maybe it won’t ever happen. I don’t know.

RG: I’ll join Daniel. It sounds cool, looks cool, it’s a great race. Ovals, yeah…

DR: Who thought turning left could be so hard?

LH: I kind of feel in a similar way. I would definitely like to try it as I’ve never really driven an oval before and the cars are incredibly fast and (I) always want to go faster. I probably will get a chance to have a go. I’m sure if I wanted to have a go I could but it’s never been a series - naturally, growing up in Europe, it’s never been a series that you grew up aspiring to be in, it was always Formula One being it was the highest technology and has always been – at least growing up – the thought was that it was the highest grade of drivers that you wanted to compete against but they’ve got some great drivers there as well. I think I would prefer to try NASCAR. Watkins Glen, I’ve always wanted to have a go up there, beer cans in the side. I have driven a NASCAR years ago at Watkins Glen which was awesome so that’s something I could do potentially. I honestly have no desire to do any other racing beyond Formula One if I’m really honest but maybe that will change when you do stop, because you do it your whole life and temptation is always going to be there, I’m always going to be a racing driver at heart.

FA: Well, they need to commit to the race. I think if they just want to do a test they will never do the race after testing the car, because it feels quite bad. It feels quite difficult. The car is self-steering to the left, you go on the straights and you are turning right and it feels very weird to drive the car, but then in the race it is just a different thing. You wake up your competitive instinct and you forget about all these weird things that those cars have and it’s a lot of fun. It’s part of history. I think the biggest thing is to go out of your comfort zone and drive something that you don’t feel ready to handle, ready to control and that adrenaline is magic.

Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports) To the two World Champions, Lewis and Fernando: there’s been a lot of attention on Mick Schumacher winning his Formula Three series. I wonder how you feel about him progressing into F1, one being whether the Schumacher name will be an asset or a burden to him?

LH: I don’t think it will be a burden. I think naturally for any of the champions when they have youngsters come through, naturally Michael is named the greatest driver of all time, he’s got the most titles, so there will one hundred percent be a Schumacher back in Formula One, partly because of the name, but secondly because he’s doing a great job. He’s obviously got a lot of talent as his Dad had, just like Keke and Nico, just like when Fernando has kids I’m sure an Alonso will be here again. Even if I have a kid who wants to race and even if he’s no good he can make it Formula One because of the name. But no, he’s doing a really great job and he’s a really great kid as well. He’s come to… and been a part of our team a couple of weekends, I think it was last year, very attentative. He’s got a great talent as his Dad had so I don’t think it will be a burden in my personal opinion. I think it could be great for the sport.

FA: Not much to add. I don’t know him. Obviously I never met him, probably. You only see the results from the outside and he has a great talent and he will be good for the sport, to have the Schumacher name again in F1. Let’s see what the future brings, not putting extra pressure on him which I’m sure he has enough already. Let time decide.

Q: (Chris Bils – Austin American Statesman) Lewis, you’ve had so much success here and really your name has become synonymous with this track. Is there anything in particular, over the years, besides winning that you’ve enjoyed about coming here and also you were talking about the food, pancakes, is there anything that you like to eat while you’re here?

LH: They don’t make tracks really like they did in the olden days. The older circuits that you’d go to, you’d dream of going to, watching the legends drive there, so some of the new tracks aren’t really that good but this is one of those that is, it’s got great character and from day one when we arrived here, there was a massive crowd that came who I’m sure, at least half of them, probably were new to the sport which was great so it had the impact it was meant to have and I think every year it’s kind of been growing but just driving the track is a massive challenge and also you can actually race here, you can follow which is one of the downfalls of some of the circuits: it’s harder to follow. So I think that’s really why I’ve enjoyed it a lot because I’ve had the chance to have races here, real races and obviously there is that great sporting heritage here and people are genuinely super enthusiastic about sports, no matter which sport it is. And the last race here that we had, the whole spectacle, I think, was probably the best of the whole year, the whole build-up and everything I thought was great. It’s great to celebrate the culture wherever you go. I think there was negativity I think I heard after the race about how American it was but I was like ‘we’re in America, we’ve got celebrate America at this Grand Prix particularly’ and I think that should happen in all the countries we go to. Food-wise, I grew up… for a period of time I lived on an American airbase in England and chicken wings… this guy my Mum was dating did the best chicken wings ever and I used to come out here and have that but I don’t eat chicken any more, being as I’m on a plant-base diet so I don’t know how that’s going to go while I’m here, I might be living on pancakes all weekend but I don’t mind that.
 

Paul Jeffrey

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FREE PRACTICE ONE REPORT

Wet, Wet, FAST! Hamilton Starts Title Push in Style During Wet USGP FP1 Session.
USGP F1 FP1 Report.jpg

Lewis Hamilton proved himself a perfect champion elect in Austin this morning, firing a significant warning to his rivals with a lightening fast lap in a very wet FP1.

Very heavy rain prevented any serious running from the Grand Prix drivers in opening practice for the 2018 United States Grand Prix, however of those that did venture out onto the sodden circuit, it would once again be Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes who would prove the most adaptable to the conditions, the champion elect showing some devastating pace as he gaped the field by well over a second in his very solid looking AMG Mercedes.

Further down the field it would be an interesting session for Lando Norris, the Englishman again followed by rain clouds as he looked to put some more mileage under his belt for McLaren ahead of his debut next season. Norris would manage a respectable performance to finish just behind team leader Fernando Alonso, although the Brit must surely be hoping for some dry weather eventually when given the keys to a Formula One car.

Another new face would be Sean Galael in the Toro Rosso, the youngster getting more seat time for the Red Bull junior outfit as they continue to ponder who will partner Daniil Kvyat at the team next season.

Provisional FP1 Result:
  1. Lewis Hamilton HAM Mercedes 1:47.502 6
  2. Valtteri Bottas BOT Mercedes 1:48.806 +1.304s 7
  3. Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:48.847 +1.345s 9
  4. Daniel Ricciardo RIC Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:49.326 +1.824s 9
  5. Sebastian Vettel VET Ferrari 1:49.489 +1.987s 18
  6. Kimi Räikkönen RAI Ferrari 1:49.928 +2.426s 20
  7. Carlos Sainz SAI Renault 1:50.665 +3.163s 8
  8. Romain Grosjean GRO Haas Ferrari 1:50.821 +3.319s 10
  9. Charles Leclerc LEC Sauber Ferrari 1:50.961 +3.459s 14
  10. Marcus Ericsson ERI Sauber Ferrari 1:51.016 +3.514s 14
  11. Fernando Alonso ALO McLaren Renault 1:51.036 +3.534s 9
  12. Lando Norris NOR McLaren Renault 1:51.232 +3.730s 9
  13. Pierre Gasly GAS Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 1:51.234 +3.732s 19
  14. Sergio Perez PER Force India Mercedes 1:51.459 +3.957s 18
  15. Sergey Sirotkin SIR Williams Mercedes 1:51.589 +4.087s 14
  16. Kevin Magnussen MAG Haas Ferrari 1:51.614 +4.112s 15
  17. Esteban Ocon OCO Force India Mercedes 1:51.655 +4.153s 17
  18. Nico Hulkenberg HUL Renault 1:51.717 +4.215s 7
  19. Lance Stroll STR Williams Mercedes 1:51.896 +4.394s 14
  20. Sean Gelael GEL Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 1:52.625 +5.123s 21
 
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Paul Jeffrey

Premium
FREE PRACTICE TWO REPORT

More Rain and Hamilton Again in Austin
USGP F1 FP2 Report.jpg

Lewis Hamilton again proved he has it all under control in another wet US Grand Prix Free Practice.

With the Circuit of the Americas once again proving to be a wet affair in Free Practice Two, many of the current crop of Grand Prix drivers would edge towards caution as they looked to save the car for a no doubt intense Saturday afternoon, leaving a slightly unusual top ten with many of the big names either failing to set a representative time, or in the case of Lewis Hamilton showing the field how a true professional performs in these difficult conditions.

Hamilton would continue his impressive form up front, taking fastest time by over a second from the fast Pierre Gasly, the Frenchman making good use of his new Honda PU to complete 10 laps and set his best performance of the season, backed up nicely by team mate Brendon Hartley in the sister Toro Rosso, the Kiwi following up a good Suzuka qualifying with yet another top six time.

Provisional FP2 Result:

  1. Lewis Hamilton HAM Mercedes 1:48.716 3​
  2. Pierre Gasly GAS Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 1:49.728 +1.012s 10​
  3. Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:49.798 +1.082s 5​
  4. Fernando Alonso ALO McLaren Renault 1:51.728 +3.012s 3​
  5. Nico Hulkenberg HUL Renault 1:52.208 +3.492s 6​
  6. Brendon Hartley HAR Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 1:52.505 +3.789s 19​
  7. Marcus Ericsson ERI Sauber Ferrari 1:53.070 +4.354s 9​
  8. Stoffel Vandoorne VAN McLaren Renault 1:53.354 +4.638s 10​
  9. Kimi Räikkönen RAI Ferrari 1:53.443 +4.727s 7​
  10. Sebastian Vettel VET Ferrari 1:53.912 +5.196s 8​
  11. Charles Leclerc LEC Sauber Ferrari 1:54.101 +5.385s 9​
  12. Lance Stroll STR Williams Mercedes 1:54.637 +5.921s 5​
  13. Sergio Perez PER Force India Mercedes 1:54.963 +6.247s 6​
  14. Esteban Ocon OCO Force India Mercedes 1:55.348 +6.632s 6​
  15. Sergey Sirotkin SIR Williams Mercedes 1:55.446 +6.730s 8​
  16. Carlos Sainz SAI Renault 2​
 
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Paul Jeffrey

Premium
FREE PRACTICE THREE REPORT

Ferrari Back on Form Ahead of Qualifying at COTA
USGP F1 FP3.jpg

Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel picked up the pace in FP3, topping the times for the first time this weekend in a dry FP3 session.

Dry at last! The first really meaningful session of the 2018 USGP weekend would rather surprisingly be a Ferrari benefit, the Italian squad having a great session prior to qualifying as they set first and second fastest times, with Sebastian Vettel managing to out perform teammate Kimi Räikkönen as a consolation for his three place penalty due to be served at the conclusion of qualification this afternoon.

With the track much more raceable than has been the case so far this weekend FP3 would see plenty of running for most of the field, and it would be a bit of a surprise to see Ferrari quite as fast as they proved to be on track, both cars beating home the two Mercedes cars, although a gap of just 0.73 certainly doesn't indicate a significant advantage for the red cars ahead of qualifying later today.

Provisional FP3 Result:

  1. Sebastian Vettel VET Ferrari 1:33.797 20​
  2. Kimi Räikkönen RAI Ferrari 1:33.843 +0.046s 21​
  3. Lewis Hamilton HAM Mercedes 1:33.870 +0.073s 23​
  4. Valtteri Bottas BOT Mercedes 1:34.556 +0.759s 21​
  5. Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:34.703 +0.906s 21​
  6. Daniel Ricciardo RIC Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:34.910 +1.113s 20​
  7. Charles Leclerc LEC Sauber Ferrari 1:35.365 +1.568s 21​
  8. Sergio Perez PER Force India Mercedes 1:35.411 +1.614s 21​
  9. Carlos Sainz SAI Renault 1:35.450 +1.653s 21​
  10. Romain Grosjean GRO Haas Ferrari 1:35.468 +1.671s 19​
  11. Esteban Ocon OCO Force India Mercedes 1:35.562 +1.765s 22​
  12. Pierre Gasly GAS Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 1:35.713 +1.916s 27​
  13. Kevin Magnussen MAG Haas Ferrari 1:35.770 +1.973s 19​
  14. Nico Hulkenberg HUL Renault 1:35.882 +2.085s 19​
  15. Marcus Ericsson ERI Sauber Ferrari 1:36.000 +2.203s 21​
  16. Lance Stroll STR Williams Mercedes 1:36.188 +2.391s 21​
  17. Sergey Sirotkin SIR Williams Mercedes 1:36.193 +2.396s 20​
  18. Stoffel Vandoorne VAN McLaren Renault 1:36.302 +2.505s 23​
  19. Brendon Hartley HAR Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 1:36.330 +2.533s 26​
  20. Fernando Alonso ALO McLaren Renault 1:36.332 +2.535s 20​
 
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Paul Jeffrey

Premium
QUALIFYING REPORT

Hamilton Takes Pole Ahead of The Race He Could Become World Champion.
USGP Qualifying Report.jpg

Lewis Hamilton took pole ahead of a faster tyre running Kimi Räikkönen today, his 81st career pole on the weekend where the British driver could be crowned 5-time World Champion.

Securing a third consecutive pole position in Austin, Lewis Hamilton has always won the USGP when starting from the front row, a very worrying omen for Ferrari as Sebastian Vettel is forced to start from fifth on the grand thanks to a 3 place grid penalty incurred earlier in the weekend.

Hamilton would leave it late to take the top spot today, pipping Vettel by the smallest of margins prior to the German having to drop further down the field, promoting Räikkönen to second on the grid, Bottas just behind in third and the currently luckless Daniel Ricciardo fourth.

Provisional Qualifying Result:
  1. Lewis Hamilton HAM Mercedes 1:34.130 1:33.480 1:32.237 19
  2. Sebastian Vettel VET Ferrari 1:34.569 1:33.079 1:32.298 17
  3. Kimi Räikkönen RAI Ferrari 1:34.703 1:32.884 1:32.307 14
  4. Valtteri Bottas BOT Mercedes 1:34.518 1:33.702 1:32.616 17
  5. Daniel Ricciardo RIC Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:34.755 1:34.185 1:33.494 14
  6. Esteban Ocon OCO Force India Mercedes 1:34.876 1:34.522 1:34.145 18
  7. Nico Hulkenberg HUL Renault 1:34.932 1:34.564 1:34.215 18
  8. Romain Grosjean GRO Haas Ferrari 1:34.892 1:34.419 1:34.250 17
  9. Charles Leclerc LEC Sauber Ferrari 1:35.069 1:34.255 1:34.420 17
  10. Sergio Perez PER Force India Mercedes 1:35.193 1:34.525 1:34.594 17
  11. Carlos Sainz SAI Renault 1:34.891 1:34.566 12
  12. Kevin Magnussen MAG Haas Ferrari 1:34.972 1:34.732 12
  13. Pierre Gasly GAS Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 1:34.850 13
  14. Brendon Hartley HAR Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 1:35.206 13
  15. Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:34.766 4
  16. Fernando Alonso ALO McLaren Renault 1:35.294 6
  17. Sergey Sirotkin SIR Williams Mercedes 1:35.362 6
  18. Lance Stroll STR Williams Mercedes 1:35.480 8
  19. Marcus Ericsson ERI Sauber Ferrari 1:35.536 8
  20. Stoffel Vandoorne VAN McLaren Renault 1:35.735 6
 
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Paul Jeffrey

Premium
RACE REPORT

Magic Räikkönen Wins At Last
USGP Race Report.jpg

Kimi Räikkönen took victory in the United States this weekend, his first race win in over five years.

Follow a 112 race streak away from the top step of the podium, Kimi Räikkönen would celebrate his 39th birthday in fine style with an emphatic victory in front of an adoring American crowd in Austin, taking the chequered flag at the front of the field for the first time since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.

Räikkönen would show strong pace throughout the race this afternoon, taking an early lead ahead of Lewis Hamilton from the green light thanks to his supersoft shod Ferrari, and never looked back as he called upon all his experience to produce one of his most convincing displays since re-joining the Scuderia from Lotus back in 2015.

Behind Räikkönen would be a hard charging Max Verstappen, the Dutchman having another exceptional race as he recovered from a poor 18th place starting spot - the Red Bull man producing a very solid drive to head off a determined Lewis Hamilton, extending the title fight for at least another weekend as the Grand Prix circus heads to Mexico next time out.

In terms of the championship challenge, it would be another very difficult day for Sebastian Vettel, the Ferrari driver making early contact with Daniel Ricciardo before eventually recovering to an eventful fourth place, leaving the German mathematically if not realistically still in the hunt for the main prize.

Also in strife during the race would be the luckless Romain Grosjean, the Haas driver making contact with Charles Leclerc and putting both out of contention for the remainder of the race. Grosjean is set to find himself in front of the race stewards later today, and with just 3 penalty points away from a potential one race suspension, it will surely be tense times in Texas for team and driver this afternoon.

Provisional Race Result:
  1. Kimi Räikkönen RAI Ferrari 56 1:34:18.643 25
  2. Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 56 +1.281s 18
  3. Lewis Hamilton HAM Mercedes 56 +2.342s 15
  4. Sebastian Vettel VET Ferrari 56 +18.222s 12
  5. Valtteri Bottas BOT Mercedes 56 +24.744s 10
  6. Nico Hulkenberg HUL Renault 56 +87.210s 8
  7. Carlos Sainz SAI Renault 56 +94.994s 6
  8. Esteban Ocon OCO Force India Mercedes 56 +99.288s 4
  9. Kevin Magnussen MAG Haas Ferrari 56 +100.657s 2
  10. Sergio Perez PER Force India Mercedes 56 +101.080s 1
  11. Brendon Hartley HAR Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 55 +1 lap 0
  12. Marcus Ericsson ERI Sauber Ferrari 55 +1 lap 0
  13. Stoffel Vandoorne VAN McLaren Renault 55 +1 lap 0
  14. Pierre Gasly GAS Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda 55 +1 lap 0
  15. Sergey Sirotkin SIR Williams Mercedes 55 +1 lap 0
  16. Lance Stroll STR Williams Mercedes 54 +2 laps 0
DNF Charles Leclerc LEC Sauber Ferrari 31 DNF 0
DNF Daniel Ricciardo RIC Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 8 DNF 0
DNF Romain Grosjean GRO Haas Ferrari 2 DNF 0
DNF Fernando Alonso ALO McLaren Renault 1 DNF 0
 
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OMG, you do realise that by telling us Hamilton could secure his 5th championship at the USA F1 in 2019 that you have ruined the rest of this year's F1. So does that mean Vettel won his 5th championship this year?
 
The (short version of the) 2018 US GP was already won ........ by me! :laugh:
Here's the evidence to back it up (watch at 1080p60) ->
That victory should be stripped from you, you cut the track more than Verstappen himself last year ! :devilish:
:D
Btw, I've watched in 360p and there's nothing you can do about it ! :p
 
D

Deleted member 113561

  • Deleted member 113561

Breaking news:
Racedepartment developed a time machine.
fry-time-travels.png

When do I get an invite to try it out myself?
 
Might as well be 2019 - this season is over!

One of my pet (i.e. repetitive) complaints, but I really wish they could shorten the calendar back to the 16-18 race range.

As a lifelong sports fan, one lesson I've learned that I feel like a lot of sports commissioners/CEOs haven't is "think long and hard before expanding your calendar". It's very tempting/easy to scale up during boom times, but extremely difficult to scale back down if/when the boom's over.
 
The FIA ordered to place sausage-kerbs on some inside turns, so no more cutting.
Good decision. Actually they should also place grass and gravel on the outside turns to assure everyone stays on-track or lose considerable time; just to keep it fair. These large run-offs are an invitation for illegal moves.
 
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