American GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

Qualifying was a slight bit different this weekend due to the absence of Caterham and Marussia.

So, the rules were changed and instead of the usual 6 cars out in Q1 and Q2, it was just 4 cars out in the respective rounds. In Q3 however, it was the usual 10 battling it out for the final 10 positions, including Pole Position.

For more details on how qualifying works, check out one of our previous qualifying re-caps.

Sebastian Vettel will be starting from pit-lane due to a complete engine change. Kvyat has a 10-Place-Grid-Penalty due to replacing his engine as well and Button has a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for a gearbox change.

Here is how the grid lines up for tomorrow's Grand Prix after  the penalties.

STARTING GRID:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland

4. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

5. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia

6. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain

7. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark

8. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

9. Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

10. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela 

11. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Jenson Button* / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain

13. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany

14. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France

15. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico

16. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France

17. Daniil Kvyat* / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

Pit Lane - Sebastian Vettel* / Red Bull-Renault / Germany

* = Driver is serving a penalty.

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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American GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

Moving on to session 2, it was once again time for the drivers to head out for more lap times and Jean-Eric Vergne & Valtteri Bottas were both back in their cars after FP1 saw Max Verstappen and Felipe Nasr having a turn at the wheel at COTA.

It was another solid session for nearly all drivers except for Vettel who was having gearbox issues. Christian Horner confirmed that Vettel will indeed participate in Qualifying despite the fact he's set to start from pit-lane.

Still a bit of locking up here and there, but otherwise a very good day in all. Here are the times from the session.

TIME SHEET:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:39.085 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:39.088 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Fernando Alonso - 1:40.189 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:40.390 / Red Bull-Renault

5. Felipe Massa - 1:40:457 / Williams-Mercedes

6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:40.543 / Ferrari-Ferrari

7. Daniil Kvyat - 1:40.631 / Toro Rosso-Renault

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:40.641 / McLaren-Mercedes

9. Jenson Button - 1:40.698 / McLaren-Mercedes

10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:40.800 / Force India-Mercedes

11. Valtteri Bottas - 1:40.828 / Williams-Mercedes

12. Romain Grosjean - 1:41.054 / Lotus-Renault

13. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:41.110 / Toro Rosso-Renault

14. Sergio Perez - 1:41.123 / Force India-Mercedes

15. Pastor Maldonado - 1:41.158 / Lotus-Renault

16. Adrian Sutil - 1:41.332 / Sauber-Ferrari

17. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:41.420 / Sauber-Ferrari

18. Sebastian Vettel - 1:43.980 / Red Bull-Renault

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American GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Results

The first session of the Austin GP weekend got underway on a very sunny Friday morning.

While everything went pretty well, there were a few drivers who suffered from technical issues. There were quite a few lock-ups and spins here and there. 

Daniel Ricciardo had to retire from the session early with an ERS issue, but fortunately he was able to come back for FP2 in time.

We also acknowledge the absence of Marussia and Caterham who are missing the F1 weekend due to financial and management problems. No word yet if they'll be back in time for Brazil, but we're hoping they get things sorted in time for the final 2 races.

In this session were two drivers who are not currently racing this season. First, youngster Max Verstappen for Vergne in the Toro Rosso. He will be driving for the team next year. We also had Felipe Nasr driving for Valtteri Bottas in the Williams.

Here are the final times from this session.

TIME SHEET:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:39.941 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:40.233 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Jenson Button - 1:40.319 / McLaren-Mercedes

4. Daniil Kvyat - 1:40.887 / Toro Rosso-Renault

5. Kevin Magnussen - 1:40.987 / McLaren-Mercedes

6. Fernando Alonso - 1:41.065 / Ferrari-Ferrari 

7. Sebastian Vettel - 1:41.463 / Red Bull-Renault

8. Felipe Nasr - 1:41.545 / Williams-Mercedes

9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:41.722 / Force India-Mercedes

10. Max Verstappen - 1:41.785 / Toro Rosso-Renault

11. Felipe Massa - 1:41.907 / Williams-Mercedes

12. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:41.965 / Ferrari-Ferrari

13. Pastor Maldonado - 1:42.329 / Lotus-Renault

14. Adrian Sutil - 1:42.333 / Sauber-Ferrari

15. Sergio Perez - 1:42.359 / Force India-Mercedes

16. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:42.516 / Sauber-Ferrari

17. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:42.598 / Red Bull-Renault

18. Romain Grosjean - 1:43.348 / Lotus-Renault

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American GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Preview Quotes - Sauber

Esteban Gutierrez - "I am looking forward to the United States Grand Prix; it is a great feeling coming to Austin. For me it is a special Grand Prix, because we will have a lot of support from Mexico, as it is currently the race which is closest to my home country. I am looking forward to having great support from our fans there, which gives me extra motivation. The race weekend is always busy, and it requires a lot of energy. The track in Austin is one of my favourites, I love driving there. I like the first sector with a sequence of fast corners, which is similar to a part of the track in Silverstone. As we are still facing a lack of straight line speed, the second part of the track could be a challenge, as it has a long straight. In the last sector there are some technical, slow-speed corners. All in all, it will be crucial to have a good set-up as well as efficient aerodynamics."

Adrian Sutil - "The United States Grand Prix is a great event in a country in which motorsport is hugely important. I have only been to Austin once. It is a very interesting track that offers a bit of everything. After the first slow corner, the track has a sequence of left-right combinations which remind me of the "Esses" in Suzuka. It is a lot of fun driving there. Obviously, a high amount of downforce, as well as engine power, is needed to be fast there. During the race there are many fans, and the city of Austin is also very nice. Some of my friends from the US will come for a visit. For me it is a great event, and I am looking forward to it. We will certainly do our best to get the maximum out of our package."

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American GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

 

Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne - "I really enjoyed going to Texas, I love the place and on top of that, the Circuit of the Americas itself is a great track to drive. There's a special feel about racing in America and the paddock has a good atmosphere to it. The fans are enthusiastic and there is always plenty of support from all the Mexicans who come to follow this race to boost the local crowd numbers. I'm not sure how our car will perform there, but hopefully we will have a good pace and enjoy a successful weekend. I know the first corner is visually impressive when you look up at it from the pits, but in the car it doesn't feel particularly special. To be competitive here you need all the usual things, good aero downforce and a powerful engine as there is a long straight. There are no special secrets to doing well at this track."

Daniil Kvyat - "I have very good memories of Austin last year. It was a very exciting time for me and now it's hard to believe that already one year has gone by since that weekend in America. I feel like a veteran now! It's a special place for me because that's where I first was part of a Formula One Grand Prix weekend, even if it was only driving the Friday morning session. I was reasonably quick there, maybe a couple of tenths off Daniel (Ricciardo) although I wouldn't be happy with that this time round. It will be good to go back there therefore. The track itself is very nice, fast with lots of challenging high speed corners, which I like. The track has plenty of up and downs with the first section featuring some corners that remind me of Silverstone. I enjoyed going to America last year and I'm looking forward to eating some steak!"

Max Verstappen (Driving for Toro Rosso in 2015) - "I'm looking forward to being back in the STR9 for the first time since Japan. I missed Sochi because I was in Imola, competing in the penultimate round of the European Formula 3 Championship that weekend. In Hockenheim, the following week, I got one win out of the three races and that meant I ended up third in the championship standings. I still have one more go in an F3 car, as I am taking part in the Macau F3 Grand Prix. It's a really special race, a special track and it is a race I would really like to win, especially as earlier this year I won the Zandvoort Masters, the other "classic" on the F3 calendar. So before coming out to Austin, I was in the simulator for Macau and I also spent some time looking at the Circuit of the Americas. It looks like a fun track to drive with interesting corners like the first one that you have to go into blind. I've never been to Austin, although I've raced karts in the States and been there on holiday. After taking part in FP1 in Suzuka, I had to rush back to Europe, but this time, I will be staying with the team all the way through to Brazil, so I'll be able to learn a lot more, taking part in all the briefings and generally getting to know the team."

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American GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

Preview Quotes - McLaren

Jenson Button - "It'll be good to get to Austin after the three-week break. I really enjoy this circuit; a great mix of a high-speed straight and really fast, technical sections to get your teeth into. It's also one of the few circuits that run anti-clockwise, which makes it a little bit more of a challenge.

Although this is only our third grand prix in Austin, it feels like we've been going there a lot longer. It's testament to the fans, who are fantastic and always provide a great welcome, and it's already a very popular track amongst the drivers. I've had positive results there over the past two years, and our performance in recent races has shown that our pace is improving as we move towards the end of the season, so I'm looking forward to this weekend. Perhaps this track won't suit us quite as well as Sochi did, but it's a similar circuit in terms of set-up so I'm hopeful we can take the fight to our closest rivals. As usual, we'll be pushing to get the maximum out of our car and secure a strong finish for the team in front of the passionate US fans."

Kevin Magnussen - "I'm really intrigued by this circuit; it's already become one of the drivers' favourites and the mix of high-speed corners and elevation changes makes it a really exciting challenge. Although this will be my first time driving on the track here in Austin, I've driven it in the simulator and many of the corners have similarities to corners on other great circuits. Turns Three, Four and Five are very like the fast Maggotts-Becketts section at Silverstone, for example, which I know well, so I'm really looking forward to getting out on track in the car.

The track has a very long, fast back straight but also lots of complex, high-speed corners, so this weekend the focus will be on finding the best balance and set-up compromise with my engineers as soon as we get started. I've also heard a lot about the famous ‘Austinite' welcome - the fans in the US are always really enthusiastic so there should be a great atmosphere. In Russia we battled hard and came away with a positive result, so despite the three-week break I'm determined to carry that momentum into Austin and hit the ground running, so that we can secure another decent performance for the team."

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American GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

Preview Quotes - Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton - "Crossing the line on Sunday in Sochi was a really amazing moment. To win the very first Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix and help the team achieve the first constructors' championship for Mercedes-Benz with a one-two finish - it couldn't have got much better. When I went to the factories in Brackley and Brixworth the week afterwards, the atmosphere was just awesome. Everybody has worked so hard to achieve this title and they all deserve to savour the moment. Of course, we still have three races left to decide the drivers' championship - starting in Austin, which is one of the best weekends of the year. A lot of the American side of my family come to the race, plus I won the first ever Formula One Grand Prix at the circuit back in 2012, so it's a special one for me. I really enjoy going there and I'm looking forward to another great race - hopefully ending up with another Stetson hat on the top step of the podium!"

Nico Rosberg - "What a week we had after Russia. Being back at Brackley and Brixworth with a constructors' championship title for Mercedes-Benz - the first one ever, of course - and celebrating with all the people I've watched working flat-out, day and night for nearly five years to achieve this goal - it was just fantastic. I'm really proud to be a part of this team along with all the great people within it, so it's great to see them get such a reward for all their efforts. Now, of course, we target a big finish to the season in the final three races. It's still all to play for in the battle for the drivers' championship and I won't be giving up the fight until the flag drops in Abu Dhabi. Hopefully we can keep the entertainment going right to the end for the fans out there enjoying the contest. The first step comes in Austin, which is a really cool city and a great race track. I haven't had the best races there so far, but I'm determined to change that this year."

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American GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

Preview Quotes - Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel - "Austin is a fun city where you get a real feel for the Texan lifestyle and traditions and get to race on a great track. The Circuit of The Americas is a track I like a lot; it has 20 corners and we drive it anti-clockwise. The start/finish straight has a steep incline up to the first corner and is the trademark of the track. For us that means the braking starts uphill, which is not easy and locking the front tyres could be a problem. A lot of the corner combinations remind me of other famous circuits on the race calendar. For example the fast combination during the first part of the track feels like Silverstone and Suzuka. The famous Maggotts and Becketts passages were used as a model for this part of the track and the drivers enjoy the extremely fast turns, when the car is balanced right. Also corners 12 and 15, this section was taken from the Motodrom in Hockenheim. It is a slower part of the track, and is designed to create more of a stadium atmosphere. The long bend also reminds of the famous Turn 8 in Istanbul."

Daniel Ricciardo - "Hand on heart, this is probably the date on the calendar I look forward to the most. I've loved every minute of being in Austin: when they picked this place for the US Grand Prix, they absolutely nailed it. The city is awesome. I love listening to live music and this is a great place for that, plus Texas feels like real America, and that's something I've really enjoyed just sinking into the last two seasons. And then, there's the important bit. The Circuit of The Americas, in my opinion, is the best of the new breed of circuits. The nature of the corners is interesting. It's also a very busy track where you don't get much respite. The first sector is very special and that first turn, blind up the big hill is like nothing else in F1. It's also a good example of the excitement a late apex can create: you can have a really good lunge there. They've done a very good job."

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American GP: Circuit Preview

(Image credit belongs to : www.seatingchartview.com - All rights belong to owner.)

One of the final 3 races of this season is the American GP - So, it's time to take a look at the circuit and of course a quick. Overview of last year's race.

The "Circuit Of The Americas" is located in Austin, Texas in the United States Of America. The circuit first opened in October of 2012 and was also the first time it hosted a Grand Prix.

COTA is one of the few circuits that runs Anti-Clockwise. It's 3.427 miles in length and has a capacity of 120,000. There's a total of 20 turns and the race usually runs 56 laps.

Last year saw Sebastian Vettel start on Pole and go on to win the race. Romain Grosjean finished second and Vettel's then Team-Mate, Mark Webber finished in third. The only retirement of the race was Adrian Sutil in the Force India, due to a collision. 

For more lead-up info to next weekend's GP, follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78

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