56 laps of the 5.513km Circuit of The Americas SPRINT weekend! 17th October Practice 1 18:30 - 19:30 17th October Sprint Qualifying 22:30 - 23:14 18th October Sprint 18:00 - 18:30 18th October Qualifying 22:00 - 23:00 19th October Race 20:00 - 22:00 All times are UK times Poll closes before Race Quali - Saturday!!!!!
It’s hot! Wasn’t sure whether this was going to be a McLaren or RedBull track, but I think the high track temperatures will tip it the McLaren way. If you’ve got to have sprints, this at least is a decent choice of track to do it on. This is also another GP where Pirelli are skipping a compound, so we have C1, C3, C4 - it didn’t work at all in Spa, no idea whether to expect it have more effect here.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...nd-of-the-season-after.1xMbDNMdQu3dtfTbCSTxB2 Baffling. McLaren really making it hard to like them this year.
Seems like it’s probably a “follow the leader” mandate for the first few corners or a “no mitigation swap back if you touch” type thing?
Sounds like Lando got a right talking too and Oscar is happy with the result of the chat! I hope it's not going to be 'who ever gets to the first corner first stays in that position' type of outcome.
I wonder if we will hear any more on McLarens rules!!!! How on earth did Oscar not have a clue that there might be any number of cars on his left? I know it's first lap but Oscar made a rookie mistake.
Oscar tried to cut back on t1 to the inside but Hulk and Alonso where there, so he hit Hulk and bounced into Lando! Taking them all out! Personally, I think had it not been a first lap Oscar would have been penalised. Seemed like Oscar just didn't think anyone could be on the inside of the corner.
If fairness to Piastri, he did leave a cars width on his inside. He didn't anticipate that Alonso was there so it needed to be two cars. Still not a great idea on the first lap
But if you listened to what Zak Brown said about the incident, he said Hulk had no right to be where he was, and was blaming him for hitting Piastri and taking out Norris.
Yuki had a good race, which makes me wonder where he would've lined up if he hadn't had his chance for a 2nd run completely screwed up. Bet he's close to the front of the queue in qualifying this time.
I did hear Zac and thought he was just 'protecting' his drivers. Hulk started in 4th and had a reasonable start. Alonso nipped up the inside (on the pit exit lane). The steering angle Oscar suddenly put on was dramatic, not sure even if Alonso wasn't there Hulk would have been able to avoid Oscar. It looked like Hulk was taking 'the racing line'. That said if we look at whose wheel/mirror was level/in front etc it all gets a bit mad. To me it's still a silly move on T1 to put full lock on with 17 cars all coming into that corner in a very short space of time. If Oscar had pulled the same move later in the race trying to get Lando it would have been fine and he might have made it stick - would have been a great move but not with all the other cars so close.
I've seen it now, obviously a racing incident, but I agree, Oscar was overly ambitious making that kind of move at the start of the race.
