After what has felt like forever, F1’s month-long break is almost over. The clock is ticking until the next race: the U.S. Grand Prix (USGP) held at none other than the legendary Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. This track always makes for the best races, with thrilling battles and lots of overtakes. Considering all of the drama the 2024 season has had so far, I’m expecting this race to be one of the best yet.
About COTA
Before we get into predictions about the upcoming race, it’s important to know a bit about the track. COTA is renowned for its exciting racing. It has many opportunities for drivers to overtake, meaning it’s anybody’s race. Positions can change a million times over the 56 laps around the iconic track.
COTA hosts many different motorsports series, including World Endurance, MotoGP, NASCAR, and, of course, F1. Lewis Hamilton has five wins at this track, holding the most for F1, but last year, Max Verstappen just couldn’t be stopped. He won the USGP, continuing his reign of domination for the 2023 season. Will Verstappen bring that energy back for this race?
Predictions
Mclaren
This might be considered a hot take: I predict McLaren to get P1 and P2, but this time I think Oscar Piastri will win. Piastri has had some jaw-dropping overtakes this season (even against his teammate). Since COTA is perfect for overtaking, it would be no surprise if he won. His main competition would be the other McLaren driver, Lando Norris, who is currently fighting for the World Driver’s Championship. Norris’s biggest weakness is his race starts. If Piastri can gain the lead at the beginning, I have no doubt that he can win.
Mercedes
Like McLaren, Mercedes has had a decent season so far. Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have been consistently good and earned many points. The team has been slightly struggling lately, however, they definitely have a chance to place high in this race. In the past couple of races, Russell has been outperforming the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, and I think that will continue at the USGP. I am predicting P3 and P4 for these two, with Russell placing higher. Over the season, they have been pretty evenly matched, so it would not be surprising if Hamilton manages to outscore Russell. Either way, it will surely be exciting watching them battle it out!
red bull
Red Bull has had a tough time since Max Verstappen’s last win at the Spanish Grand Prix. While Verstappen has managed a couple more podiums, his teammate, Sergio Pérez, has barely managed to get in the points on multiple instances. Both drivers have been complaining about the car’s performance. Watching onboard recordings of the races, it is apparent the car isn’t steering as it should be, along with some other problems. Taking this into consideration, I believe that Verstappen will place P5 and Pérez anywhere from P8 to P10. I have faith that they will both get points this race, but the issues with the car are really dragging them down.
Ferrari
Ferrari is another team that has had some wild ups and downs this season, though they seem to be making a comeback. Both drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr., have been outperforming their car, which has also been having trouble. After the win at his home race, it seemed as though Leclerc was cursed to fail for the rest of the season with car trouble and terrible strategy calls. After the post-Monaco slump, he found his footing and has been on the podium many times. Carlos Sainz has not been far behind him, either. These teammates are typically neck-and-neck, so this race will be really interesting. Despite Ferrari’s recent comeback, I think the drivers will place P6 and P7; the other teams have much more potential for this race.
Aston martin
When it comes to midfielders, I think that Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Haas’s Nico Hülkenberg have the most potential to get in the points and spice things up. Alonso is a two-time World Champion winner, so his experience is invaluable. Hülkenberg, on the other hand, has never even placed on the podium. This season, though, he has shown his talent by dragging his car higher than most drivers could. Teams are constantly switching around in the midfield, so it gets hard to predict. There are two teams to watch out for, though: Williams and Visa Cash App RB.
Williams
Williams has definitely been improving since their old driver, Logan Sargeant, was replaced by Franco Colapinto. Colapinto has shown that he was made for racing with results that rival his very experienced teammates. His teammate, Alex Albon, usually places points, so I’d expect at least one of them to push Williams a little higher in the Constructor standings with this race.
visa cash app rb
Everyone will have their eye on Visa Cash App RB since it’s their first time racing since the beloved Daniel Ricciardo was replaced. This was an extremely controversial decision that left many fans with bad feelings. The worst part? The USGP was Ricciardo’s favorite. He usually went all out (even riding into the paddock on a horse).
Instead, Liam Lawson will be racing with Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda is a good driver; however, he usually sticks to the back of the pack. I, like most people, am curious to see how Lawson performs this season. He’s raced in F1 before, but he’s only scored points once. My prediction is that this team will most likely not gain any points this race and stay at the back of the grid while Lawson gets comfortable in his new position.
While these are my predictions for the United States Grand Prix, anything can happen, which is what makes F1 so exciting! Make sure to tune in on Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. EST because you won’t want to miss this race!
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