US Grand Prix: 5 talking points from Austin

After Hamilton moved a lot closer to his third Drivers title in Sochi, after an engine problem forced Nico Rosberg to retire, the US Grand Prix could very well be the place where we see the first Briton defending his title. This, coupled with the historical significance of the race at United States makes the upcoming race very exciting! Read about the five main talking points as we head towards the race weekend!

Here is an onboard lap of the circuit of the Americas, Austin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oetfRzQk2-8

5. F1 in a desperate situation

Formula One is in a pretty desperate situation with two of its bigger teams-Red Bull and Toro Rosso hinting at quitting once this year ends after failing to get a power unit supplier for next year. As we head more towards the closing stages of this season, the time seems running out for both these teams. Much like the race in Sochi, the paddock will be filled with all sorts of talks and rumours about their potential fallback since sources point towards the cancellation of the deal with Ferrari. Despite Haas coming next year, the loss of investment and talent that both these teams bring to the table will be immense. Read more about their possible impact of leaving  the sport.

4. Renault uses 11 tokens

The case of Renault and Red Bull is as much sympathetic as it is comical. Red Bull has criticised and lamented all of Renault’s efforts throughout the year owing to their lacklustre Power Unit. Now as Red Bull breaks their contract from Renault, they are yet to find an alternative Engine Supplier and rumours point to them getting back with the French manufacturer.

Renault despite their customer’s constant complaints promised a radically differently designed power unit and here they have it now! After spending 11 of the 12 available engine tokens to them, Renault has managed to battle their energy deficient engine which they will be providing to Red Bull for this race. It’ll be interesting if Red Bull opts to change their engine and take a penalty or go with the old one. If they do change and Renault’s words are indeed true, they might be able to attack Williams or even Ferrari up front.

3.  Struggling Williams

 Williams have been struggling since the last three races, gaining only 32 points from them. Their best result comes as a fourth position by Felipe Massa in Sochi. Valtteri Bottas could have very well shared the podium with Hamilton and Vettel last race, if not for the move by Kimi during the closing stages to rip his good result off. Williams will be looking to take their revenge, and probably score big at the expense of the Ferraris. The layout suits their cars and hence they are expected to show significant pace this weekend.

2. Hello World Champion

Lewis Hamilton has a very strong possibility of being crowned the champion for the third time here in Austin if all goes well. Rosberg having two DNFs in the last four races, is currently third in the championship, trailing second place Sebastian Vettel by 7 points. If Hamilton wins the race, no matter where Rosberg finishes, he is out of contention and if Vettel finishes third or lower, Hamilton is our new champion. This championship would mean he becomes the first Briton to successfully defend his championship. Hamilton has been impressively strong the entire season, and he deserves the third title very well! With 9 race victories and 11 pole positions so far and clearly was a notch above his team mate, Nico Rosberg or the Ferrari boy, Sebastian Vettel

1. Wet Weather

Probably something that excites us Formula One fans is the scenario of a wet weekend. We were treated with rain during the Silverstone Grand Prix and boy oh boy, it was a memorable race! Much to the excitement of the Formula Ones, heavy rains are forcasted for the entire weekend, though least rain is predicted for race day. With thunderous, heavy rain on Friday followed by abrupt heavy rain on Saturday, Qualifying will be tremendously fun and we might see a great shuffle up and down the order. On Sunday, light shower is expected but there will be cloudy throughout. The air temperatures will be low, which will cause problems with the tire and brake temperature for the drivers. Red Bull and Williams will be able to challenge Ferrari or even Mercedes for position as strategy comes into play. Hamilton has taken two out of three wins here and driving in the wet is his strong point. All in all, it will be an eventful race for sure!