USA Austin F1 Grand Prix Recap

A race for the rookies! Our venture to the Texan Grand Prix has concluded, and we have seen the hearts of some newly favored drivers come to life! 

Rookie's Shine in the Spotlight

To begin things, a welcome to VCARB’s Liam Lawson, who may have had the hardest job this weekend - replacing one Daniel Ricciardo at what could have been described as his second home grand prix. Having started in 19th after receiving 60 grid spots’ worth of starting penalties, Lawson obliterated expectations, finishing in an incredibly respectable 9th position. Lawson’s stint saw several battles as well, maybe most notably an incredible sequence against Aston Martin driver and veteran racer Fernando Alonso. Personally, I was on the edge of my seat as the action unfolded.

Using Fernando Alonso as a segue, William’s Franco Colapinto furthered his Formula 1 campaign with a very strong showing. From aggressively challenging Alonso for race position to battling against, and holding off Red Bull’s Sergio Perez on considerably older tires, Colapinto would wrap up this race in 10th position, picking up his 5th point in just his first four races. A reminder that Colapinto is without a drive for the 2025 season.

The Championship Contenders

Ferrari ran a masterclass race, resulting in the first One-Two for Ferrari in America since 2006. Charles Leclerc finished first, and Carlos Sainz trailed only several seconds behind. There is a chance for Ferrari to gain second in the Constructors Championship at this rate, should Red Bull (Sergio Perez) keep slipping.

Now to our championship battle, and the newfound controversy to boot. McLaren and Lando Norris have had a weekend of trailing just shy of reigning Champion, Max Verstappen. The Red Bull in Max’s hands was a behemoth to behold at the beginning of the year, yet since his last win at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, Verstappen has essentially been doing damage mitigation against a resurgent Mclaren team. This weekend in Austin showed that maybe the scales have tipped again. A Red Bull win during the sprint saw Verstappen pick up 8 points to Norris’ 4. 

This heightened pressure became apparent during the race today for Lando Norris, who bottled yet another pole position which equated to fourth position going into lap 2. McLaren had a second wind later into the race, after switching to the hard compound tires, and could carve time each lap out of Max Verstappen. This all leads us to lap 52, wherein Lando Norris attempted a pass around the outside of Verstappen on the exit of turn 12; having been a favorite spot to pass today for many drivers, several instances of which received penalties for forcing other cars wide. Here, however, contrary to forcing another car wide, a 5-second penalty was awarded to Norris for leaving the track and gaining an advantage (passing). Whether or not either car was ahead at the apex is up for the FIA to decide, and the likelihood of this being overturned is slim. Verstappen, due to the Norris penalty, finished 3rd to Norris’ 4th.

Back of the Pack

Kick Sauber had yet another remarkably uneventful race, save for a spin from Zhou around turn 1 early on in the race.

Alpine had one of their best starts of the season with Pierre Gasly starting in 6th, however poor on track racing and strategy saw Gasly finish 12th, and Ocon 18th.

Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg finished in a comfortable 8th, gaining essential points in the Constructors Championship against rival VCARB. The balance now sits at plus 2, 38 to 36.

I’m reluctant to say that Mercedes’ had a woeful weekend, George Russell ended up making the most of it, finishing 6th after starting from the pitlane. Lewis Hamilton, however, I can only imagine will want to forget this whole ordeal soon. His worst qualifying (19th) in years, followed by an early exit via gravel trap; only 3 laps in.

On to Mexico City, a mere 5 days away.