The 2023 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix dished up a landmark Max Verstappen victory, but his Sunday race wasn’t a straightforward affair – nor was it a quiet one in the stewards’ room.
As Ferrari again showed it has work to do to eliminate strategic blunders, and an under-pressure driver ended an unwanted streak, here’s what we learned from Circuit of the Americas.
Everything’s Bigger in Texas
Everything’s bigger in Texas, according to popular belief and brass-plated belt buckles. While the on-track spectacle across Formula 1’s sprint and grand prix races at the Circuit of the Americas largely did not deliver on such hyperbole, the post-race ramifications certainly did as the theatre ensued in the stewards’ room.
A pair of disqualifications headlined the United States Grand Prix to overshadow the increased competition Max Verstappen faced for victory, even if it was somewhat inevitable that the champion-elect would eventually creep through to the front from sixth on the grid after losing pole to track limits.
There were more threads to unpick from the Austin fallout, with strategic blunders and overambitious upgrades creating their own problems in certain corners of the F1 circus. Here’s 10 of the biggest topics that emerged from the US of A.
1. Stewards’ Room Drama: Two Short Planks Prompt Disqualification
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified for plank infringements. F1 is about cutting-edge technology as much as it is about entertainment, and amid all the innovations that festoon a modern-day car, there’s something poetic about a humble plank of wood derailing the best-laid plans. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fell foul of the minimum plank thickness regulations and lost points-scoring finishes as a result.
The increasing bumpiness of the Circuit of the Americas, combined with the low-slung cars on high fuel, seemed to cause enough tail dragging to wear the rear part of the planks down. The single practice session presented further opportunity to mask the level of wear on both cars. Regardless, the stewards felt that it was the teams’ prerogative to ensure that the car was within legal tolerances.
2. Mercedes and McLaren Demonstrate Their Progress
Lando Norris led for some of the US GP before finishing third on the road. Hamilton’s disqualification aside, he produced a committed drive that gave Max Verstappen and Red Bull something to think about in the dying stages. Mercedes reneged on initial plans to conduct a one-stop strategy, which nonetheless cost it relative to a ‘proper’ two-stop.
Lando Norris was equally impressive, converting his quick reactions off the line into a first-half lead. However, tyre degradation eventually did for Norris, who was later overcome by Hamilton. Regardless, Hamilton and Norris proved that Mercedes and McLaren have come a long way, finishing the race in the same postcode as a Red Bull.
3. Ferrari Remains a One-Stop Shop for Strategic Gaffes
Ferrari’s strategy for poleman Charles Leclerc kept him out of the podium fight. Despite starting from pole, Leclerc was asked to move aside for team-mate Carlos Sainz as Ferrari elected to diverge its strategies. Leclerc’s one-stop efforts couldn’t prevent Sainz and Sergio Perez from moving past in the latter stages. The disqualification after a barely conciliatory sixth-place finish only added to his displeasure.
4. Perez Gifted with Step Towards Second in Drivers’ Standings
Perez moved further ahead of Hamilton in the battle for the runner-up spot. Hamilton’s disqualification promoted Perez into fourth, extending his runner-up lead over Hamilton in the drivers’ championship to 39 points. While doable given Perez’s indifferent form in recent races, it will be a much more difficult task to complete.
5. Sprint Race Experiments Once Again Hit or Miss
The sprint format remains hit and miss after a tepid Austin affair. Beyond the first lap, there was little to report as a tepid encounter quickly fizzled out. The success of sprints is proving to be increasingly track-specific, and Austin was the most drab sprint so far across the three years.
6. Accidental Stroll to the Grid Can’t Undo Aston Martin Turnaround
Stroll reached the top 10 despite a pitlane start. Despite dissatisfaction with the car set-up, Aston Martin opted for a pitlane start to tune the new updates on Lance Stroll’s AMR23. Stroll showed tenacity in his rise through the order that eventually yielded seventh, despite a faux pas on his reconnaissance laps.
7. Haas Upgrades “Not a Transformation,” but Parc Ferme Break a Help
Haas’ major upgrade package wasn’t the major step forward it hoped for. Like Aston Martin, Haas decided to ring the changes in Texas with a distinct new bodywork package. The changes included a defined downwash sidepod, but within the single hour of practice, Haas struggled to get to grips with the change in car behaviour.
8. Second Homecoming Underlines Sargeant’s Progress
Sargeant became the first American to score points in F1 since 1993. Logan Sargeant was granted his first F1 world championship point after being promoted to 10th. The Floridian’s race pace was markedly improved from a difficult sprint race, and he managed to stick with Albon throughout the race.
9. Dennis Set for Long-Time-Coming F1 Weekend Debut
Formula E champion Jake Dennis will get a Red Bull FP1 outing in Abu Dhabi. The bias of sprint weekends towards the end of the season has forced teams to load their mandatory rookie appearances in practice into the Mexico City and Abu Dhabi FP1 sessions.
10. Maximum Fines Hiked Up to €1m
The FIA has increased the maximum fine punishable to €1m. With his GPDA hat on, Mercedes’ George Russell felt that the notion that drivers could be fined €1m was “obscene.” He noted that he was “on a five-figure salary” in his first year with Williams and lost over six figures from paying for his trainer, flights, and assistant.
