Formula 1 heads to the Americas with the first stop in Austin, Texas, for the nineteenth round of the 2023 season.
Since its introduction in 2012 the Circuit of the Americas has been a firm favourite for drivers.
Otherwise known as COTA, the track features a 5.5 km layout with 20 turns, including the steep and imposing climb to turn one and the Suzuka/Silverstone-esque sequence of esses in the first sector. The layout has been designed to provide a mix of high speed straights and technical corners, creating several overtaking opportunities.
COTA is also designed to accommodate a large number of spectators, and the fans have turned out en masse in the last several years, as F1’s popularity has exploded stateside.
The inaugural race in 2012 was won by then McLaren driver, Lewis Hamilton, who followed it up with a trio of wins in 2014, 2015, and 2016 – but this time for Mercedes.
This track, in 2018, also marked the final race victory of 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 career.
In the decade since McLaren’s inaugural win here things hadn’t turned out too well for the Woking-based team, but the 2023 turnaround will be written about and remembered for years to come.
They’ve gone from also-rans to bona fide challengers for victory in less than a season. It helps too that the ultra-talented Lando Norris, and the super rookie Oscar Piastri, are in the cockpit. While Red Bull may hold the edge pace-wise, you can bet your bottom dollar that McLaren will not be far off.
Checo Perez arrives at this event the driver under the most pressure. While his teammate has already wrapped up title number three, he’s been struggling to even trouble the scoreboard. The rumours began to swirl that Perez may even announce his retirement at his home Grand Prix in Mexico, but for a driver whose credo is “Never give up” this seems unlikely.
There is a strong belief he has been given an ultimatum by Red Bull. If he loses P2 in the championship he’ll be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo for 2024. It’s all eyes on Perez then to see what, if anything, he can conjure to keep his F1 seat.
