Feature: Star Drivers Of The American GP

Amy Hawk - "My driver of the US GP weekend is Daniel Ricciardo. 

I think he's really done well at proving that he's meant to be with the Red Bull team. He has fantastic pace, works well with the team and is always focused.

He fought back from some car issues during Free Practice 1 and made it on to the podium on race day. He held back both Williams drivers to secure 3rd and I think he did a great job."

Frances Fry - "Although this driver didn't complete more than one lap of the race, my driver of the weekend has to be Sauber's Adrian Sutil. 

Throughout the entire weekend Sutil managed to get the Sauber beyond where it was expected to be. It's no secret Sauber haven't had an easy season and I think this really shows that the progress we've all been saying they've been making has really happened. 

What really tipped the scales for me was not only the fact that he qualified in 10th place but that after the start of the race he managed to hold that place! Although he didn't actually complete a lap, I must say, Adrian Sutil has really impressed me and I cannot wait to see how high he can take the Sauber in the next (and last) 2 races!"

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Feature: American GP - Our Post-Race Quotes

Frances Fry - "The COTA is perhaps one of the most intense tracks in the calendar. On the Fan Forum both Perez and Gutierrez said sector one is incredible and the third sector was the most difficult. I believe the race lived up to their comments. 

This weekends race was incredible! Right from lights out. Lap 1 gave us quite the start with the contact between Perez, Sutil and Raikkonen. From that moment on I found my self scared to blink due to fear of missing some action which I must say seemed inevitable. Not only were there close calls between a few cars but also, the track allowed the drivers to enjoy their racing and get stuck in! 

Once again, Button was allowed to show us all the great racing we've missed for most of the season. Jenson Button's idea of wheel-to-wheel racing is never a let down whoever it's with, where ever it is. 

In the moments where there did seem an even remotely less than entirely attention grabbing few seconds, Romain Grosjean (who was complaining of understeer) caught my attention as he often found himself battling with corners and I don't think you could count all of the lock ups if you used all of your fingers and toes. 

Essentially, the race was great. There was never a dull moment and I really cannot wait until next seasons race! COTA did not let me down."

Amy Hawk - "I really enjoyed this race. Not only is it my home race, but it was super entertaining. I loved all the wheel-to-wheel action and the constant battle between Nico (Rosberg) and Lewis (Hamilton).

It was disappointing to see a double DNF for Sahara Force India, especially for Checo (Perez) as he considers it his home race. It was a racing accident.. And unfortunately things didn't end well. As for Nico, it was an engine problem which couldn't be fixed by settings.

Huge congratulations to Lewis on his win and to the other podium finishers, Rosberg and Ricciardo. They drove incredibly all the way to the end.

Unfortunately for Sauber, it wasn't the results they'd hoped for. Esteban had a great pace, but it was just impossible to catch up after the penalty. As for Sutil, his race was over on the same lap as Perez so.. We didn't really get to see what would have happened.

But on to Brazil now and hopefully things will turn out better at the Interlagos circuit."

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American GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

It was bright, sunny & overall great conditions for racing in Austin, Texas & what a race, what a race indeed. This season has not failed to disappoint and there's still 2 races left.

When the lights went out, the 17 cars were ready for 56 laps of pure adrenaline. Rosberg had a strong start & was eager to gain a lead to stay ahead of team-mate, Lewis Hamilton. But the Brit was right in Nico's mirrors, ready to fight for that win.

In the middle of the pack, we saw the collision between Perez, Sutil & Raikkonen. Perez was closing in on a gap, trying to overtake the Sauber, while also trying to avoid the Ferrari. But things didn't work. As Kimi rounded the corner, Perez unfortunately made contact with the back of the Ferrari, which caused his car to slide into the side of Sutil's Sauber. This caused damage to both of the cars, ending the race for both Perez and Sutil. Kimi was lucky to escape with minor damage to the rear of his car.

It ended up being a double DNF for Sahara Force India when only a handful of laps later, Nico Hulkenberg slowed and pulled over to a stop, before hopping out of the car. He'd reported a loss of power. It turned out to be an engine issue that ended his race.

Meanwhile, up at the front, Lewis was continuing to fight, trying to overtake his team-mate. It was not an easy task as Nico was not about to let his chance of a victory slip away. British and German flags were held up high and people cheered as the two Mercedes passed by at nerve-raising speeds.

Two other drivers who had their own wheel-to-wheel battle going were Jenson Button & Fernando Alonso. Around every turn it seemed one was in front of the other, until Alonso gained the position and Jenson was called in for a pit-stop.

Esteban Gutierrez, the lone Sauber on the track, was putting in his best efforts to catch up after having to take a 5 second drive through penalty for speeding behind the earlier Safety Car. He was not the only one either. Button, Maldonado & Vergne were all investigated for either speeding in the Pit-Lane or speeding behind the Safety car. Button was the only one who was cleared from investigation & did not receive a penalty.

Maldonado impressed when he fought his way to the end in Tenth and got his first point of the season. However, that changed when Jean-Eric Vergne was given 5 seconds added to his race time for a collision with Pastor's team-mate, Romain Grosjean. That meant Maldonado was promoted to 9th with now 2 championship points.

In the end, Lewis Hamilton was the one who brought home the win in Austin, making it his 5th consecutive win and also his second win at COTA. Rosberg came in second while Ricciardo held back the Williams duo long enough for that last spot on the podium.

So, with the race complete and another victory celebrated, it's time for the next race. The teams are off to Sao Paulo, Brazil! 

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points

2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 18 Points

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / 15 Points

4. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 12 Points

5. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 10 Points

6. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain / + 8 Points

7. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany / + 6 Points

8. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark / + 4 Points

9. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela / + 2 Points

10. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France / + 1 Point

11. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France

12. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain

13. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

14. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico

15. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

DNF - Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / Engine Failure

DNF - Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / Collision Damage

DNF - Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany / Collision Damage

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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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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American GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Results

Today started out with the last Free Practice session, this one of course runs for only an hour. 

It was another Mercedes 1-2 but they weren't the only strong runners. Williams and Ferrari have also been looking strong this weekend. 

Not too much to talk about, so here are the final times from the session.

TIME SHEET:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:37.107 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:37.990 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Felipe Massa - 1:38.124 / Williams-Mercedes

4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:38.437 / Williams-Mercedes

5. Fernando Alonso - 1:38.727 / Ferrari-Ferrari

6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.927 / Red Bull-Renault

7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:38.960 / Force India-Mercedes

8. Adrian Sutil - 1:39.000 / Sauber-Ferrari

9. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:39.143 / Ferrari-Ferrari

10. Jenson Button - 1:39.241 / McLaren-Mercedes

11. Kevin Magnussen - 1:39.335 / McLaren-Mercedes

12. Pastor Maldonado - 1:39.448 / Lotus-Renault

13. Romain Grosjean - 1:39.561 / Lotus-Renault

14. Sergio Perez - 1:38.582 / Force India-Mercedes

15. Daniil Kvyat - 1:39.688 / Toro Rosso-Renault

16. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:40.208 / Sauber-Ferrari

17. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:41.443 / Toro Rosso-Renault

18. Sebastian Vettel - 1:43.765 / Red Bull-Renault 

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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 - Williams

Preview Quotes - Williams

Felipe Massa - "The track in Austin is great as there is a real mix of high and low speed corners with some very technical areas. Sector one is very quick, similar to Suzuka, with a long straight which gives us the chance for overtaking. It's a fun track to drive and one where we can have a good result. Austin is also a really great place with such enthusiasm for Formula One so let's hope for a good weekend."

Valtteri Bottas - "Austin is a really cool track, one of the best on the calendar. The city is nice, the fans and atmosphere are great, so it's one of the best places of the season to go to. I have good memories from there as I got my first points in Formula 1 in Austin last season. We are definitely targeting to be on the podium again and extend the advantage we have on Ferrari in the Constructors' points. Everyone is feeling positive about Texas, so it should be fun."

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American GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Preview Quotes - Force India

Nico Hulkenberg - "I remember that as soon as I drove in Austin my first thought was that it was an amazing circuit. It's fun to drive, with lots of different kinds of corners, and it's one of the best tracks from the new generation of circuits. It's very easy to find a rhythm and the tarmac is very smooth, which makes it very nice to drive. Away from the track, Austin is a venue everybody enjoys visiting. It's not the biggest city, but there is a good atmosphere and they love Formula OneI've had good results in Austin (P8 in 2012 and P6 in 2013) so I am feeling upbeat about this weekend. It's clear that some teams ahead of us have made a step forward recently, but we know that we can race well. I think it's realistic to target points again this weekend and try to close the gap to fifth place."

Sergio Perez - "Austin is a great race and because it's so close to Mexico it feels like my ‘home' race. There are usually a lot of Mexican fans and you feel a lot of support because the grandstands are full and there are always a lot of Mexican flags. I enjoy the track, especially the first sector and the uphill turn one, which is quite unusual. You can brake extremely late for this corner and it's a good overtaking opportunity. From there you go into the quick corners: turns three, four and five, which are a lot of fun to drive. I arrive in Austin feeling positive. I've scored points in every race since the summer break – five races in a row – and I think we've maximised what we could get out of those races. We've been racing hard, taking some chances, and making some excellent decisions with the strategy so hopefully we can continue to do so in the next few races."

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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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