America loves its sports, and autumn brings a cornucopia of action that stretches coast to coast, across purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain, all taking place under spacious skies. As college football rivalries play out on Saturdays to whet fans’ appetites for NFL action on Sundays, amid the MLB playoffs and the start of the NBA and NHL seasons, motorsports remains very much in the mix.
Car culture has been, and continues to be, woven into the fabric of America. And when the most sophisticated and technologically advanced racing series in the world arrives on U.S. soil, people take notice.
Approximately 260,000 fans will descend upon Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix.
Toughest corner Turn One. The key to this corner is the 40-metre elevation change on the approach. This incline increases the load on the car by 0.4g, giving the drivers more grip and allowing them to brake very late. More than 85 per cent of the load is then scrubbed off by the apex, making the cars very loose and difficult to control.
Most demanding section Sector One. As was the case at Suzuka last time out, the opening section of the Circuit of the Americas is fast and furious. Eight of the opening nine corners involve fast changes of direction, with a slowest apex speed of 185km/h (115mph). The drivers compare the challenge to Becketts and Maggotts at Silverstone.
Biggest challenge Car set-up. COTA has more fast corners than Spa-Francorchamps and more slow corners than the Hungaroring; as a result, car set-up is a delicate balance between slow-speed grip and straight-line speed.
Join us later in the afternoon for the latest updates and results from the Circuit of the Americas, as the 2019 United States Grand Prix is about to get underway, with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at the wheel of the SF90, ready to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull for the win in Austin.
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