Formula One is back for Round 19 in the United States, as the Constructors take on the track in Austin, Texas. After a multi-week break between races, a sprint weekend is upon us, with extra points on the line, and much at stake for the drivers!
Before we jump into the current standings for both Championships and take a look into what to expect at the Austin Grand Prix, a couple of things to mention:
Authors Note 1: The Formula One Season has two main championship competitions. The first is the Drivers' Championship, which is a competition between the individual drivers. The drivers who finish in the top 10 each weekend will score points (the higher you place, the more points you get). These points are added up, and whichever driver finishes with the most points at the end of the season will win the Drivers' Championship. The next is the Constructors' Championship, a competition between the teams. The number of points the drivers within a team get each race is combined, creating the total points for the team (E.g., Lando Norris has scored 279 points, and Oscar Piastri has scored 237 points, giving the McLaren team 516 points in the Constructors' Championship). The team whose drivers accumulate the most points combined for their team will win the Constructors' Championship.
Author's Note 2: This weekend's race will be a sprint-style format. A sprint race is a race with fewer laps that gives the drivers an opportunity to score extra points. It is meant to not only help the drivers, but also give the fans more racing action. Instead of the normal weekend format (Three practice sessions, qualifying, and the race), a sprint weekend format is a little different. There will be only one practice session, and two qualifying sessions (one for the sprint race and one for the main race). The sprint race will occur between the sprint qualifying session (AKA sprint shootout) and the main race qualifying session.
Author's Note 3: By the end of this weekend, 23 drivers will be listed on the Drivers' Championship. Oliver Bearman was a replacement driver for Carlos Sainz for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Kevin Magnussen for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Also, Franco Calapinto has replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams, and Liam Lawson has replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB for the remainder of the season. Since the Austin Grand Prix will be Lawson's first drive of the season, he will not appear on the Drivers' Championship Standings until the end of this race weekend.
Here is a look at the current Drivers' and Constructors' standings before the race weekend:
Drivers' Championship Standings:
Max Verstappen 331 points
Lando Norris 279 points
Charles Leclerc 245 points
Oscar Piastri 237 points
Carlos Sainz 190 points
Lewis Hamilton 174 points
George Russell 155 points
Sergio Perez 144 points
Fernando Alonso 62 points
Nico Hulkenberg 24 points
Lance Stroll 24 points
Yuki Tsunoda 22 points
Alexander Albon 12 points
Danny Ricciardo 12 points
Pierre Gasly 8 points
Oliver Bearman 7 points
Kevin Magnussen 6 points
Esteban Ocon 5 points
Franco Colapinto 4 points
Zhou Guanyu 0 points
Logan Sargeant 0 points
Valtteri Bottas 0 points
Constructor's Championship Standings:
McLaren 516 points
Red Bull 475 points
Ferrari 441 points
Mercedes 329 points
Aston Martin 86 points
Racing Bulls 34 points
Haas 31 points
Williams 16 points
Alpine 13 points
Kick Sauber 0 points
Standings were found at F1.com.
Alpine
Alpine had yet another quiet weekend last time out in Singapore. Esteban Ocon started in 15th and finished 13th, while Pierre Gasly started 18th and finished 17th.
Alpine has been doing just enough to not cause another team-wide panic, but has not done nearly enough to separate themselves from the bottom of the field. With an Indiana Jones-inspired livery, the team is going into this weekend with hopes of improving their poor run of form. Alpine has failed to improve their car all season long. Though they have had some good moments, they have been overshadowed by the failure to meet their expectations coming into the year.
With no new upgrades to speak of, Alpine is most likely locked in to finish another race in the middle to bottom of the field. Expectations should be low for Alpine until their new upgrade package comes in the coming races.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 11th-13th place finish for both drivers
Floor: 16th-18th place finish for both drivers
Aston Martin
Last time out in Singapore, Aston Martin had one driver thrive while the other struggled. Fernando Alonso qualified 7th and finished 8th, while Lance Stroll qualified 17th and finished 14th.
Going into the weekend, Aston Martin should feel encouraged with how their car is performing. Though driver Fernando Alonso does not believe them to be game-changing, Aston Martin plans to bring some upgrades to the car that should help the team stay in the fight for points.
On the other hand, Lance Stroll has a lot to prove this weekend. The car is in a place to fight for points, and his teammate is driving consistently at a good pace. Stroll cannot afford to maintain his poor run of form if he wants to be looked at as a driver who deserves to be on the grid. Since the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Stroll has finished significantly below Alonso. Along with his poor finish in Singapore, Stroll finished 19th in Monza while Alonso finished 11th and did not finish the race in Azerbaijan while Alonso finished 6th. If Aston Martin wants to compete in the Constructors' Championship this year and both Championships going forward, they need production from Stroll. Alonso is doing his part, clearly showing that the car can currently fight for points; it's time for Stroll to do his part and show his team and the fans that he belongs on the team.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 6th-9th place finish for Alonso and 8th-12th place finish from Stroll
Floor: 12th-14th place finish for Alonso and 16th-19th place finish from Stroll
Ferrari
Ferrari had a solid weekend in their last race in Singapore, where Charles Leclerc started in 9th and finished in 5th, and Carlos Sainz started in 10th and finished in 7th.
Coming off an up-and-down weekend in Singapore, Ferrari will be looking for a better result in Austin. With more points on the line this weekend due to the sprint-style format, Ferrari has a great opportunity to gain some ground on Red Bull and McLaren in both CHampionships.
The only concern going into the weekend for Ferrari is that they are the only top-tier team to have not brought an upgrade package. Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren all have brought substantial upgrades to their respective cars. If the upgrades prove to be beneficial to the car, Ferrari could see their opponents' pace increase, leaving the Ferrari drivers struggling to keep up.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 3rd-6th place for both drivers
Floor: 6th-9th place for both drivers
Haas
Last race weekend in Singapore, Haas produced again...at least from one of their drivers. Nico Hulkenberg qualified 6th and finished 9th, while Kevin Magnussen qualified 14th and did not finish the race.
The biggest point of emphasis for Hass going into their home race is the upgrade package they are bringing. They have improved the floor and bodywork of their car, while also tweaking the aerodynamics of the car's design. These upgrades should hopefully keep Haas in the fight for points.
Similar to the situation at Aston Martin, Haas needs production from both drivers. Hulkenberg has been fantastic this season and has exceeded all expectations. However, Kevin Magnussen has been disappointing, to say the least. Every home race for a team is important, this weekend no different. This extra motivation could help the American team improve from their last performance.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 7th-10th place for Hulkenberg and 9th-12th place for Magnussen
Floor: 11th-14th for Hulkenberg and 16th-19th for Magnussen
Kick Sauber
Last race weekend in Singapore, Kick Sauber surprisingly had a solid weekend, for their standards. Valtteri Bottas started 19th and finished 16th, while Zhou Guanyu started 20th and finished 15th.
Going into the sprint weekend in Austin, a success for Sauber would be to not come in the bottom three. As long as they show that they aren't by far and away the worst car, it is a win. With that being said, expectations could not be lower for Sauber. They have shown no sign of improvement all season long, but rather every intention of just existing until they are replaced by Audi in 2026.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 15th-17th for both drivers
Floor: Bottom two placed on the grid
McLaren
McLaren did exactly what they needed to do last weekend in Singapore. Lando Norris qualified and finished the race in 1st, while Oscar Piastri Qualified 5th and finished 3rd.
Going into the sprint weekend in Austin, McLaren needs another race win from Norris if they want to gain ground on Max Verstappen in the Drivers' Championship. With the Constructors' Championship theirs to lose, the team should be dialed in on doing everything they can to help Lando close the gap to Verstappen.
To help their efforts, McLaren has brought an upgrade package that they hope will separate them even more from the rest of the pack. With the upgrades mainly focusing on the rear wing, the car should experience increased downforce and reduced drag, thus increasing the pace of the car.
If McLaren wants to win both championships, the margin of error is slim to none. Norris would have to win every race, sprint race, and every point for the fastest lap, while also needing Verstappen to struggle the rest of the season. It is a long shot, but it is possible, and it starts right here in Austin.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 1st and 2nd
Floor: 3rd-6th place for both drivers
Mercedes
Coming off a solid weekend in Singapore, Mercedes will look to fight for the win in Austin. Last time out, George Russell qualified and finished 4th, while Lewis Hamilton qualified 3rd and finished 6th,
Mercedes have been stuck in a middle ground since the summer break ended. They have not been fast enough to fight for podiums, but they have enough pace to still gain good points each weekend.
Mercedes fans should be very excited about the new upgrade package the team is bringing to Austin. With upgrades to their front wing and front suspension, the team has stated that they hope for this package to put them back in a place to fight for race wins. Considering what their last major upgrade package looked like when they added it in Canada, this should be extremely encouraging for Mercedes fans going into the weekend. Look for Mercedes to gain some major pace, and maybe fight for a podium.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 1st-4th place for both drivers
Floor: 5th-7th place for both drivers
Racing Bulls
Last weekend was a heartbreaking weekend regarding the RB team, as fans watched what could be Daniel Ricciardo's last-ever race in Formula 1. However, the results the team produced were solid. Yuki Tsunoda started in 8th and finished 12th, while Ricciardo started 16th and finished 18th. Ricciardo also received a point for driving the fastest lap of the race.
Going into the Austin Grand Prix, all eyes will be on Liam Lawson, who will drive for RB alongside Tsunoda for the remainder of the season. As a short-term replacement driver for Ricciardo last year due to Ricciardo's injury, Lawson was fantastic, exceeding all expectations. Since we now know what Lawson is capable of, the pressure is truly on him to produce and to challenge Tsunoda. A lot is on the line, including a potential seat at Red Bull, making it crucial for Lawson and Tsunoda to produce a good result in Austin.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 8th-11th for both drivers
Floor: 12th-16th for both drivers
Red Bull
Red Bull seems to be back to their typical ways. Last race weekend, Max Verstappen started and finished in 2nd, while Sergio Perez started in 13th and finished in 10th.
Both drivers will be under a microscope in Austin this weekend. Verstappen has (though mainly due to the car's struggles) been underachieving for his standards. However, he had put enough of a gap between him and Lando Norris that should make him feel a little more at ease. As long as Verstappen maintains the level of driving that he is doing now, the Drivers' Championship should be his to win. Red Bull is also bringing upgrades to their wing chamber to give the car more local load, and have improved their engine cover to allow for the engine to cool more effectively. These upgrades should bring Verstappen and Perez a crucial boost in car performance, allowing them to compete with McLaren.
Perez will also be closely watched this weekend, as he has been on most race weekends. With the team announcing that the seat next to Max in 2025 is still up for grabs, Perez has a lot to drive for. He needs to produce better results, starting this weekend, if he wants to save his F1 career.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: Race win for Verstappen and 3rd-5th place for Perez
Floor: 3rd-6th for Verstappen and 10th-12th for Perez
Williams
Williams has been on a positive streak since they replaced Logan Sargeant with Fanco Colapinto. Last time out, Alex Albon qualified 11th but did not finish the race, while Colapinto qualified 12th and finished 11th.
Williams' goal for this weekend should be consistency throughout the weekend, and to score points in both the sprint and the main race. Both Albon and Colapinto have looked sharp, and have had a similar pace since they have been teammates. With not much else to fight for in the standings, Williams can still gain some decent points in Austin and going forward.
Race Prediction:
Ceiling: 8th-11th for both drivers
Floor: 13th-16th for both drivers
Stay tuned for more F1 content, and be sure to check out fansonlysportz.com for more sports media content posted daily.
Catch you next time!
-Matt Hylen
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