Analyzing the Drama: Lessons Learned from the United States Grand Prix

Such an amazing Grand Prix, such an incredible weekend!

Starting with the weekend news !

After one month without any Grand Prix, Formula 1 was back in Austin, Texas !

and for this grand prix, loads of team arrived at the track with a lot of upgrades !

The main one Red Bull, Mercedes, Mclaren and Ferrari.

This weekend was all about sprints!

Instead of the typical three Free Practices on a regular weekend, we only had one on Friday, followed by the sprint qualification later that day. Saturday featured the sprint race and the race qualification. Finally, the weekend concluded with the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon.

F1, because it's worth it

On October 2, 2024, Bernard Arnault and his son Frédéric welcomed Greg Maffei and Stefano Domenicali to the rue du Pont-Neuf in Paris, the headquarters of Louis Vuitton. In front of the photographers, the four men signed a ten-year agreement: the LVMH group would become the ‘global luxury partner’ of Formula 1 until 2035, replacing the Swiss watchmaker Rolex.

This pharaonic contract is estimated to be worth €930 million: a major victory for the French luxury giant, which was already the No. 1 partner of the recent Olympic Games in Paris. Bernard Arnault:

"People, the quest for excellence and innovation are at the heart of our business. This relentless quest to transcend borders inspires our vision. This is the meaning we wish to give to this great, unique partnership."

Moët & Chandon will reappear on the podiums after an absence of 28 years, Louis Vuitton will design the trophy cases and TAG Heuer will once again become the official F1 timekeeper (which it already was between 1992 and 2003).

This unprecedented partnership also highlights the very strong appeal of F1, which has never been in such good financial health.

F1 has become one of the most sought-after sports franchises in the world,’ says Frédéric Arnault. It has conquered new territories, such as the United States, where it has taken its place at the pinnacle of motor sport.

In Asia, there is still considerable potential for development. The audience has become younger and more feminine. Their goal of zero carbon emissions by 2030 is also important to us. LVMH, the world leader in luxury goods, is obviously sensitive to this renewal of its customer base, unthinkable before the emergence of the ‘Netflix generation’.

Let there be no mistake: Formula 1 is a bankable, sustainable and sexy sport!

Introduction

One month after the Singapore Grand Prix, the paddock crosses the Atlantic for an intense marathon of three Grands Prix in three weeks, in Austin, Mexico and Sao Paulo.

This American tour will be crucial for Red Bull. Without a win in four months, the Milton Keynes-based team has been working hard to resolve the many problems with its temperamental RB20. With what result?

That's what we'll see in Austin. While RBR has all but given up on defending its constructors' title (41 points behind McLaren), it is determined to give Max Verstappen a fourth world crown.

With six races and three sprints to go, the Dutchman still has a 52-point lead over Lando Norris. If the situation we saw in September continues - McLaren well ahead of Red Bull - it's hard to see how Verstappen could save his throne. But if the gaps close, if Ferrari and Mercedes get in on the act and take big points off McLaren, then anything is still possible. In Texas, Dr. Marko is relatively optimistic:

"Things are going better. At Monza, we hit rock bottom, but we've been picking ourselves up since Baku, In Singapore. Max finished second! We're assuming that this trend will continue."

At the same time, there has been a change of opinion regarding the consequences of Adrian Newey's departure. While Christian Horner previously denied any causal link with the RB20's tumble, Helmut Marko admitted in Austin that the loss was a “major blow” for the team:

"Newey understands not only aerodynamics, but also mechanical grip. He goes round the car with his notepad, talks to the driver and comes up with solutions. He's an exceptional expert. When you lose someone like that, it hurts. We have a lot of good young engineers and I'm sure they can make up for this departure. But it would be wrong to say that it hasn't destabilised the team in any way."

McLaren, on the other hand, is going into this final quarter of the championship on a high. Lando Norris's demonstration in Singapore demonstrated the excellence of the MCL38, now considered the benchmark of the field. With a clear lead over Red Bull and Ferrari, the British team is confident of winning its first constructors' title since... 1998 ! As for the drivers' title, that's another matter. Many are wondering whether Lando Norris has what it takes to beat his friend and rival Max Verstappen.

The young Englishman has made a number of mistakes this season, without which he would probably be leading the championship today. It's true that he showed in Singapore that he can drive a (virtually) faultless race. But can he transform himself into a winning machine at the end of the season? Many doubt it.

That's the case of Helmut Marko, who takes great pleasure in trying to destabilise his rivals: ‘We know that Norris has a few mental flaws,’ he tells Motorsport-Magazin. We've heard that he needs rituals to concentrate before the race. Of course, his favourite Verstappen has no need of such psychological crutches:

"Max is the best, the fastest. above all, he has the mental strength to fight for the championship, more than Norris or Leclerc. Zak Brown was angered by these harsh words: ‘Helmut's comments are disappointing, but I'm not surprised. For some time now, Lando has been campaigning to talk loud and clear about mental health. It's a serious issue that we're trying to publicise to get people talking. Making fun of this subject is in very bad taste. As for Norris, he prefers to make fun of Marko: ‘I think he's misinformed or the victim of a translation error, because my only ritual is to eat chicken wraps!"

Important note

The FIA World Council has decided to abolish the point awarded for the fastest lap in a race from 2025. This little ‘carrot’, introduced in 2019, was in fact of little interest, as it was all too often won at the end of an event by a driver who had the luxury of putting on soft tyres at the last minute. Moreover, its strategic value was ethically questionable, as the recent Singapore Grand Prix illustrated.

There, Daniel Ricciardo, the Visa Cash RB driver, snatched the fastest lap from Lando Norris at the last minute to help Max Verstappen, who was running for the parent team Red Bull Racing.

McLaren's legitimate anger at this mini-hold-up probably precipitated the federal government's decision. In addition, there will be more testing for young drivers: by 2025, each team will have to put a neophyte, or someone considered to be a neophyte, on the track four times. This measure is the prelude to the organisation of a non-championship race reserved for ‘rookies’, the first edition of which should be held in Abu Dhabi in December 2025.

Several sections of the Circuit des Amériques have been resurfaced with new tarmac to reduce the number of bumps on a track built on excessively soft ground. In particular, the section between the last bend at the exit of the second curve and the long straight at the halfway point will be resurfaced. In addition, after a 2023 edition marked by numerous passages behind the limits, these have been redefined in several corners. At bends 6, 13, 14 and 15, the asphalt border has been reduced in favour of a grass strip. Turn 11 is bordered by a resin-coated gravel trap, a solution already seen at Zandvoort.

TECHNICAL SIDE

After a month's break, the teams are making a number of changes. Red Bull presented a reprofiled bonnet and a modified floor.

The Mercedes W15 is getting a facelift with modifications to the front wing, suspension, pontoons and floor.

McLaren is continuing its cautious development programme.

So far, the British team is the only one to have managed to get the most out of its new features straight away. It is bringing a new wing and a new beam-wing, but postponing the redesign of its floor until later.

Aston Martin, Alpine and Visa Cash RB have all touched up their flat bottoms and wings. At Alpine, only Gasly is entitled to new features.

The Haas gets new pontoons and a new floor. The engine bonnet of the VF-24 also features gills never seen before. Finally, the Kick-Sauber C44 has been upgraded for Bottas alone, with new front wing, suspension and brake scoops.

---

Friday: practice and sprint qualifying

The only free practice session took place on Friday afternoon, under sunny skies. Sainz set the fastest time (1'33‘’502‘’) ahead of his team-mate Leclerc and Verstappen.

A little later, the sprint qualifiers were held. Verstappen returned to the front with a rather surprising pole position (1'32‘’83‘’'). Pérez (11th), on the other hand, was much further back, due to poor tyre utilisation.

Mercedes also returned to the front thanks to Russell's fine second place.

Hamilton (7th) was on the verge of setting the fastest time when his momentum was cut short by a yellow flag brought out by Colapinto.

Leclerc put his Ferrari in third place despite a ‘bad feeling’ with the soft tyres. Sainz (5th) was more satisfied with his performance.

McLaren had a bad day. Norris (4th) saved the day despite a precarious balance, but Piastri (16th) was eliminated straight away because his best time was cancelled for going out of bounds.

The Haas cars were on a roll, and for once Magnussen (8th) did almost as well as Hülkenberg (6th).

For Williams, Colapinto (10th) impressed once again by reaching SQ3, despite a spin on his last flying lap. Albon (18th), who also spun at high speed, didn't make it past the first stage. Tsunoda (9th) took his VCARB to SQ3.

Lawson (15th) lost his best time for an out-of-bounds pass.

At the wheel of the advanced Alpine, Gasly (12th) did better than Ocon (17th), who was eliminated in SQ1.

The Aston Martins (Stroll 13th, Alonso 14th) were difficult to drive here. Still unstable, slow and unreliable, the Kick-Saubers (Bottas 19th, Zhou 20th) are at the back of the pack.

The sprint race

The heat (28°C) was the order of the day for this fourth sprint of the 2024 season. All the drivers were running on medium tyres (C2). Albon took off from the pits after changing the set-up of his Williams in the parc fermé.

Max Verstappen won the sprint ahead of Sainz and Norris. Leclerc finished fourth ahead of the Mercedes of Russell and Hamilton. Haas (Magnussen 7th, Hülkenberg 8th) took 3 points to move ahead of VCARB in the constructors' standings. Pérez, Piastri, Tsunoda, Colapinto, Stroll, Gasly, Ocon, Lawson, Albon, Alonso, Bottas and Zhou follow.

Max Verstappen returned to winning ways for the first time since June. It's not a Grand Prix victory, of course, but this latest sprint win gives him two precious points over Lando Norris in the drivers' championship. The McLaren driver once again showed his fragility with a missed braking stop that cost him second place going into the final lap. He can even consider himself fortunate that his final strong defence against Charles Leclerc, initially placed under investigation, did not result in any penalty. This gives grist to the mill of those who consider Norris too soft to claim the world crown...

The Qualification

At the back of the pack, Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso fought it out for a modest 16th place. The young New Zealander had no qualms about forcing the forty-year-old Spaniard into some acrobatics to avoid a collision. The veteran didn't appreciate it: as soon as he was unhitched, he ran up to the youngster to tell him off and promised to ‘give him a pain in the arse’ in qualifying!

Alonso kept his word a few hours later, passing Lawson on his warm-up lap in Q1.

"He was really upset and I don't know why,’ said the neophyte. I hope he can get over it. "

And a cheeky one at that...

A little later, Norris got his revenge by taking pole position with a lap (1'32‘’330‘’) that he himself described as excellent, despite a McLaren that was still in need of improvement. Piastri (5th), on the other hand, admitted that he was not very comfortable here.

Verstappen put his Red Bull in second place, 31/100ths behind Norris, and felt he could have been on pole had it not been for Russell's yellow flag.

Pérez (10th) lost his best time for exceeding the limits. The Ferraris (Sainz 3rd, Leclerc 4th) locked up the third row and were the outsiders.

The Mercedes became very difficult to drive. At the end of Q3, Russell (6th) went off the road at turn 19 and ended up in the wall. Hamilton (18th) was eliminated from Q1 due to a rear suspension problem.

Thanks to new settings, Gasly finished a very fine seventh in his Alpine-Renault. Without any changes, his colleague Ocon (13th) was much further back.

After a poor sprint, Aston Martin changed its set-up, which benefited Alonso (8th), but not Stroll (14th).

Haas confirmed its good form. Magnussen (9th) would have finished in the top 6 had it not been for Russell's exit, which ruined his final lap. Hülkenberg (12th) was eliminated earlier, after making a number of driving errors.

In Visa Cash RB, Tsunoda (11th) failed to make it out of Q3. Lawson set himself apart with a 3rd fastest time in Q1, but multiple penalties relegated him to last place.

The Williams cars (Albon 15th, Colapinto 16th) suffered from bouncing and lack of grip.

Finally, for Stake, Bottas (17th) barely made it into qualifying after a brake problem at the end of the sprint. Zhou (19th) was still last and in any case penalised for changes to his powertrain.

THE RACE

The race takes place in very hot conditions (28°C in the air, 45°C on the track), which, combined with the new very dark tarmac, should put the tyres to a severe test.

Most of the drivers are still planning a single stint.

The majority of the field started on medium tyres (C2).

Stroll, Colapinto, Lawson, Russell and Hamilton were on hard tyres (C1). Russell finally started from the pits because his Mercedes had been reworked in the parc fermé after his accident.

Highlights !

Start: Verstappen immediately attacked Norris on the brakes of the big hill and dived boldly to the inside. In doing so, he sent his rival behind the limits and went wide himself. Leclerc, who had just overtaken Sainz, seized the opportunity to get round these two drivers on the outside. He took command. Verstappen accelerated again ahead of Sainz and Norris. Further back, Albon harpooned Ocon, who spun before setting off again.

Do you think the FIA should review the rules for overtaking outside the track ?

Change Image

• YES
• NO

To remind you after this overtake Norris was penalised of a 5 sec penalty for overtaking outside the track, which a lot of people judge not fair at all knowing Verstappen dragged Norris off-track by breaking later than Norris.

What we can say is that Verstappen knows how to play with the rules.

Race Result:

Charles Leclerc wins the US GP ahead of Sainz. It was Ferrari's first one-two since Australia.

Norris crossed the line in third place, but he did slip to fourth. Verstappen was third. Piastri finished fifth after an anonymous race.

Russell was sixth, Pérez seventh. Hülkenberg (8th) took four good points for Haas.

The young Lawson (9th) and Colapinto (10th) continued to impress. Next up were Magnussen, Gasly, Alonso, Tsunoda, Stroll, Albon, Bottas, Ocon and Zhou.

After the race

For the first time in six years, Ferrari achieved victory in Texas, securing a one-two finish that signaled the SF-24's resurgence. Charles Leclerc was overjoyed. While he had faced challenges converting his poles positions into wins, luck was on his side this time.

Similar to his win at Monza, he emerged victorious after starting fourth. The opportunity presented itself at the beginning of the race when Lando Norris and Max Verstappen collided.

<<We couldn't have hoped for a better outcome!' exclaimed the Monegasque driver. I felt confident after the Sprint race, as despite intense competition, the car performed well and we knew we had a strong race pace. I anticipated the aggressive nature of the battle between Verstappen and Norris. I made a good start and saw both Max and Lando heading towards the inside, so I focused on my exit from the corner, which paid off. After that, I could focus on my own race. It was a solitary race. With a comfortable lead, the strategy was straightforward: follow the lead of others.>>

Carlos Sainz, who secured an impressive second place, praised Ferrari's significant improvement, particularly in tire management:

<<This season, we have been able to complete extended stints without issues. This is one of our key strengths. It's more rewarding compared to last year, where we often qualified well but struggled during the race.>>

Frédéric Vasseur hails a ‘perfect Sunday’:

<<We knew that the start was going to be important. There was a bit of bickering in front of us, but we took advantage of that and then we had a fantastic rhythm. Everything was always under control. Charles took off perfectly and then managed everything well. Carlos stopped early to undercut Verstappen and then secured second place. >>

In the constructors' standings, the Scuderia (496 points) is closing in on Red Bull (504 pts) and can still threaten McLaren (544 pts).

For Charles Leclerc, clinching the title is still possible:

<<We have to aim for the constructors title. It's an optimistic goal, but that's why we're here.>>

Frédéric Vasseur, on the other hand, is more cautious and is refusing to make any predictions, pointing out that his team has some tough races ahead of it, notably eight days later in Mexico City.

The Verstappen/Norris case

The penalty imposed on Lando Norris for overtaking Max Verstappen has given rise to bitter controversy.

Firstly, because it cost the McLaren driver three precious championship points.

Secondly, if the Englishman did exceed the limits to overtake the Dutchman, it was because the latter had left him with no other option. However, at the finish, Norris was content to ask the stewards for ‘clarification’. After all, his defeat was also due to another poor start...

<<It wasn't my day today, he sighs. Losing out at the first bend was already a defeat. At the end of the race, I took my only opportunity. Max was defending himself well, but I noticed that he also went off the track. He went too hard and also gained an advantage by doing so. But I'm not the one who makes the rules, so... Perhaps we'll have a discussion with the stewards. >>

On the other hand, his boss Andrea Stella pulled out his Colt and recalled that Verstappen had already pushed Norris at the first corner:

<<The way the stewards interfered in a beautiful moment of motorsport was inappropriate, because both cars went off the track. So both had an advantage. It's a shame, because it costs us a podium and a race where we showed patience after being pushed out at the first corner.>>

Stella added that he felt Verstappen deserved to be investigated. However, he refused to appeal the penalty, no doubt because it was impossible to deny that Norris had driven behind the white line.

Indeed, it is difficult to blame the stewards, as Lando Norris' offence was clear-cut: he had not overtaken Max Verstappen when he took the line and passed the Red Bull on the outside. However, it is equally clear that the three-time world champion left him no space.

But in this case, Verstappen has long enjoyed real impunity. In 2021, in Sao Paulo, he defended himself in the same way against Lewis Hamilton without the referees batting an eyelid. And this Sunday evening, Verstappen mischievously recalled that he himself had been penalised here, in Austin, in 2017, for performing the same manoeuvre as Norris against Kimi Räikkönen...

<<The rule is very clear: you can't go over the white line, he says. In 2017, I also lost a podium for that. That's the way it is. >>

Christian Horner of course came to his champion's rescue: ‘The rules are the rules and the drivers drive accordingly. Max was perfectly aware that as soon as Lando crossed that white line, went off the track and overtook, it was illegal. And then the problem is the nature of that 90-degree bend. Unless you change its profile or the limit of the circuit, you're always going to have these kinds of debates.

As for the rest, Max Verstappen can be very satisfied with his weekend in Texas, which enabled him to extend his lead over Lando Norris by five units, despite his uncompetitive Red Bull. At the start, he seized a great opportunity to overtake his rival:

<<There was a gap on the inside and I took it. This corner is very wide, which gives you the possibility of turning wide or trying a very tight trajectory. It worked out quite well for me as I overtook Lando. Of course, Leclerc passed me, but in any case, I couldn't have done anything against him. He was much quicker. The car wasn't as good as it had been in the sprint. I had a lot of trouble finding grip, braking and turning. I soon realised that I wouldn't be able to win. >>

Red Bull still has work to do. While Verstappen seems to be in control in the drivers‘ championship, the Red Bull is in danger of slipping behind the Prancing Horse in the constructors’ standings...

Mercedes the eternal mystery

The Mercedes W15 will undoubtedly remain one of the greatest mysteries in the history of Formula 1. This car alternates incomprehensibly between exploits (Silverstone, Spa) and dramatic counter-performances.

Here in Austin, it was fast on Friday and Sunday, but completely out of its depth in the sprint and qualifying sessions on Saturday. Toto Wolff prefers to remember George Russell's fine comeback, when he crossed the line in sixth place, ahead of Sergio Pérez's Red Bull, after starting from the pits.

On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton's pitiful run off the road on the second lap made a mess of things.

<<I wasn't pushing hard, but I lost the rear end all of a sudden, he explained. We measured a big gust of wind, at 40 km/h, when I turned. That didn't help me. >>

True, but the other 19 competitors also felt the gust. Some are wondering whether Sir Lewis hasn't already got his head in Maranello. On the evening of this Ferrari double, that would be understandable...

This grand prix will be remembered for numerous controversial decisions and a fierce battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, which provided entertainment throughout most of the race that was otherwise quite uneventful.