United States Grand Prix F1 Predictions: Can Verstappen Break Mercedes’ Dominance at Austin?

After a two-year hiatus, F1 finally returns to USA this weekend with the United States Grand Prix. With this season witnessing one of the closest championship battles in recent memory, the Circuit of The Americas looks set to host a thrilling race.

Although Red Bull and Max Verstappen looked strong early on, Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton turned it around in the last few races.

Will Mercedes continue their dominance of the United States Grand Prix?

Since F1 returned to USA in 2012, Hamilton produced nothing short of magnificence on this track. And after moving to the Silver Arrows in 2013, the Brackley-based outfit reaped the rewards of signing the Briton.

Hamilton won this race a staggering five times, once with McLaren in 2012 and the rest with Mercedes. The Silver Arrows also won this race five out of seven times in the hybrid era, with Valtteri Bottas winning the last US Grand Prix in 2019.

The Circuit of The Americas is 5.5km in length, with an elevation change of 133 feet from Turns 19 and 20 to Turn 1. In fact, the left-handed first corner is one of the most iconic aspects of this track as it presents immense overtaking opportunities.

Recently, Mercedes looked like they have the edge over Red Bull in terms of power. In addition, the high-speed corners and long straights in Austin give cars with more power an advantage. Although Red Bull improved in that aspect this season, Verstappen could find it tricky to stay ahead of Hamilton in the championship after Sunday.

However, the Dutchman has an impressive track record in Austin. Apart from his retirement in 2016, he finished no lower than fourth at this track since joining Red Bull. While many signs point towards a Mercedes win, Red Bull can make life difficult for them.

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McLaren likely to outshine Ferrari this weekend

Although McLaren endured a disappointing weekend in Istanbul, they could fare better than Ferrari this weekend. Their performances in Monza and Sochi suggest the MCL35M looks better suited to the track in Austin than the SF21.

However, the Italian outfit now has new power units in both their cars. This could see the two rivals engage in a feisty battle, with the possibility of clinching a stunning podium.

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