US GP Race Report

Before we got racing, Austin provided us with the added excitement of monster trucks to take the drivers around on their parade.  Not all trucks were created equal and some drivers seemed to be going around in glorified golf buggies.  

Qualifying had been a mixed bag: Albon's position of 17th makes me start to be disappointed in him.  However, it was looking as spicy as a hot wing at the front of the grid and there would definitely be some elbows out and other drivers holding their breath and just hoping to get through the start safely.  All the discussion immediately after the first turn incident in the Sprint was that it had been a racing incident, that seemed to have changed to the blame being assigned to Hulkenberg and by the time the race had come around there were digs at Piastri.

Brundle's grid walk was unusual, if you caught it.  He was made to do the first part with actor Glen Powell, who asked questions like: "What is a tyre?" and the straight was packed with people who all seemed to be paying punters rather than slebs.  Apart from Shaboozey, who seemed, like Powell, to be omnipresent.  

Disappointingly, it was a clean start, with Verstappen driving off into the distance.  LeClerc overtook Norris, who had more reason to be cautious, on softer tyres, a Ferrari strategy that was well-thought out for a change.  The pair battled hard for half of the race.  Albon, at the back, collided with Bortoleto, Stroll was in the mix too.  Hamilton and Piastri got past Russell and Bearman fell back.

The calm was short-lived and on lap seven, Antonelli and Sainz came together, putting the Williams out of the race; he was to be the only retiree.  A Virtual Safety Car was put in place and Albon was the only driver to pit during it.  If the whole Williams weekend wasn't such a shambles you might think it had been planned.

The thrilling prospect of track limits came into play fairly quickly (almost exciting as tyre strategy talk); Hadjar was shown the dreaded black and white flag (although I have never sighted it) for exceeding track limits sufficiently that if he did it again, he would get a five second penalty.  He would be followed during the race by Norris, Albon and Bortoleto.  No one actually was penalised though, which just goes to show that it is possible to stay within the white lines.

Ferrari fought hard to try and get LeClerc second place, boxing him ahead of Norris but in the end they had to settle for third.  Bearman tried to bring in more interest by going wide and spewing up a plume of dust as he tried to overtake Tsunoda and spun himself.

With sixteen laps to go Norris's tyres started to go and it looked like the one battle on track was off but they came back to him and it was reignited.  There was six laps to go and he got passed LeClerc with five to spare.

The race finished Verstappen (who we barely saw), Norris, LeClerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Russell, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Bearman and Alonso in the points positions.  The fastest lap however went to Antonelli.  Obviously all the talk now is of Verstappen winning the championship and whether McLaren will have to choose to back just one of their drivers.  This will rumble, boringly, on.

US GP Sprint Report

Despite securing the Constructor's Championship, all eyes remain on McLaren: how they treat their drivers and what role "Papaya Rules" will play in the final six races.  On press day, Norris commented that there would be "repercussions" following his collision with his team mate at the last race.  Cue speculation about what form this punishment might take.  The team seemed to be finding it harder to provide a car that would stay out front of all the competition to allow their own brand of racing to play out.

The Sprint Qualifying had led to a promising line up for the Sprint (must keep reminding myself not to call it a race and slap my wrist when I do).  Verstappen made a good start which meant he was well ahead of the carnage behind him.  It was a Turn 1 racing incident but Piastri was definitely making a move to push at Norris and Hulkenberg had got himself into the thick of things without considering an exit plan.  Norris and Piastri were immediately parked up at the side of the track, with the Brit securing quite a lot of damage, his wheel lying a long way from his car.  Alonso was also out but somehow Hulkenberg carried on but didn't get back into a points paying position.  The Safety Car was out for four of the nineteen laps.

The Stewards rightly judged it to be a racing incident but little was made that both Williams had managed to keep out of the mess, which was highly surprising for the team who seem to find a loss in even the most promising of situations.  The question at the restart was whether Sainz could hold of his old team mate LeClerc to keep third position.  It turned out the bigger question was whether LeClerc could stay in front of his current team mate and Hamilton took the position from him when he made a silly mistake.  All of which benefitted Sainz. 

Also largely unmentioned was Tsunoda's rise from the back of the grid to 7th after seven laps, a position he held until the end.

Halfway through the Sprint, Russell had one opportunity to overtake Verstappen for the win but it wasn't really there and didn't happen.  They both went wide and off the track but nobody suffered for it.  There were lots of incidents noted but not much followed up on; we shall see if this is the same during the race.  The potential for drivers being penalised for leaving the track limits too often seems high.

With three laps to go, Stroll locked up at a corner and went straight into Ocon.  He was waving an apology to the Haas driver before his car had even come to standstill.  This meant that the Sprint finished under the Safety Car and Stroll was awarded a five place grid penalty for the Race (the actual race not the sprint race which is not a race but a sprint).  Bearman did something or other to Antonelli (pushed him off the track or gained an advantage by leaving the track...) and was given a ten second penalty.  As the cars were so bunched up in the finishing conditions, this meant that not only did Bearman fall back from his one point position but his classification was right at the end.  Verstappen held his lead from start to finish, with Russell feeling he had done well to get second.  Sainz was happy with third but we didn't get to hear about it.  Off the podium (no, not a podium, a kind of standing hug) but in the points were Hamilton, LeClerc (who comes up as Charlotte Flair on subtitles, a merry distraction but it does mean you can't see what the Stewards are up to), Albon, Tsunoda and Antonelli.

Qualifying later in the day could not possibly be as interesting as the Sprint and lots of engineers and mechanics would be very busy fixing cars over their lunch break to ensure all drivers could get out. 

US GP Sprint Qualifying Report

 As usual there was a lot of talk about how everyone involved in F1 loves going to Austin; so we're all very pleased for them.  The most there was to say about the track on the first competitive event of the weekend was that there was gusty wind but enough about the barbeque beans.

I feel like the last time there was a disaster with traffic it was in America too.  The cars that desperately needed to improve their times all came out of the pits together in a traffic jam, which didn't do anyone any favours as they couldn't get going on a quick lap whilst blocking each other.  Out went Bearman, Colapinto, Tsunoda, Ocon and Bortoleto in last, whose lap time was deleted and therefore failed to set any time at all.  Norris, Piastri and Verstappen were quickest.

Racing Bull have a new livery for the weekend, which appeared to be flames as viewed when the cars were travelling at speed.  This seems to be in poor taste and I hoped poor Grosjean didn't see it.  When I did some research though, it is not flames but a tortoiseshell pattern in honour of a new prepaid Tortoise card from VCarb, their sponsor.  This is being fronted by Shaboozey, whose most famous (or only?) song is A Bar Song (Tipsey).  This seems in poor taste and I hope it doesn't mean that Hadjar and Lawson will be as slow as the animal they are representing.

In SQ2, Ferrari were putting in desperate last laps to try and stay in Qualifying and knocked out Antonelli.  He was followed by Hadjar, Gasly, Stroll and Lawson (who also didn't get a lap time in as his was deleted for track limits).  Norris was the fastest again and it seemed like pole was his for the losing.  (We all know how it will go if something is Norris's for th losing).

For the pundits the big story seemed to be that Hulkenberg was flying and that Antonelli was not in the top ten.  I would argue the bigger story is Tsunoda finishing in 17th.  Is this the Jonathan Wheatly effect, leaving Red Bull for Sauber?  Both Williams were also through to the final session.

All the top drivers waited until the end to put in one quick lap, a risky strategy but as the weekend had not been filled with crashes, Safety Cars and Yellow Flags, it seemed a managable risk.  Norris looked like he had pole, but then, as always, Verstappen took it from him.  They finished Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Hulkenberg (!), Russell, Alonso (again, no mention of this great performance), Sainz, Hamilton, Albon and LeClerc.  The Williams had beat the Ferraris.

With a Sprint it is all down to the start as there are few laps after it to make up places.  It will be interesting to see how punchy Piastri is, I assume he will not want to risk sustaining damage to his car but is he slowly becoming more hot-headed?  I feel this is a big opportunity for Hulkenberg and Alonso to make a splash this season, with nothing to lose.  How safe Verstappen plays it should be a indicator of how much he believes he is in with a shot at the Drivers' Championship.

US GP Race Report

After his big spin in Qualifying, Russell would start his Mercedes from the pit lane, changing all the parts overnight that he could.  Other than that there was no new news.

Norris made a great start but Verstappen came up the inside, taking a gap left open and they were both forced off the track.  Albon hit Ocon, who spun off and ran last.  LeClerc was able to come from 4th to lead with Verstappen behind him, in a dream start for the Ferrari hopeful.  Sainz was 3rd and then Norris and Piastri.  Hamilton and Lawson both made up 5 places.  This all seemed well but then Hamilton spun and beached his car in the gravel.  On only Lap 3 it was too early to take the cheap pit stop.  Lewis stood looking at his car.

Norris spent some time on the radio whilst the Safety Car came out and reported how Verstappen had pushed him off.  The tag between the back markers had already been dismissed as a racing incident.  

After LeClerc held his position after the restart. the stewards were busy investigating minor complaints and refusing to hand out any penalties, in what must be a drastic change of policy for them.  LeClerc pulled out a 5 second gap from Verstappen and teams began to discuss tyre strategy with their drivers.  Lawson had made significant progress through the pack and loitered outside the points.

But clearly they caught themselves as Russell was swiftly awarded a 5 second penalty to not really going anywhere near Bottas on an overtake.

By the halfway point, tyres were starting to wear beyond drivability but there was always the possibility of a Safety Car or trying to stay on the road to outstay your rivals.  Sainz went early as a guinea pig for his team mate and then Verstappen, the undercut worked and Sainz was ahead of him.  LeClerc was next in and came out ahead of his team mate, so it was a successful play by Ferrari however the McLarens were 1st and 2nd.

The stewards had now warmed up and seemed to be looking back through the race to find more drivers to penalise.  Gasly was the first.  Then Tsunoda.

We also had to see how the cars would react to the change of tyres.  Verstappen was hating his.  Tsunoda too, who had a big spin but managed to get going again.

For the final ten laps, Norris got close enough to Verstappen to be able to overtake him.  It took a few nail-biting laps before it happened and then there was confusion about whether Norris went off the track to take the position.  Or was he forced off?  McLaren told Norris he was ahead at the apex, which seemed to matter.  It was noted by the stewards.  Norris had asked his team to make this decision as they were able to review the footage, if only they had really done this rather than saying pleasant, rallying things to please their driver.

In front of them, LeClerc had held a 5 plus second gap to his team mate Sainz in second.  We didn't hear any team orders over the radio so it must have been a fair fight.

The note by the stewards moved to be under investigation and it seemed like a better move to give the place back.  Still McLaren didn't act.

Colapinto had held the Fastest Lap and he looked like he would get the point for it as he was in 10th position and thus in the points and eligible.  On the last lap, Ocon put on fresh soft tyres and took it off him.  I don't know who benefits from that, there is no team link.

With corners to go, the stewards did award a 5 second penalty to Norris, so the whole thing was pointless.  We only just saw the Ferraris cross the line victorious.  Piastri held 5th and Russell 6th, which was an excellent effort starting from the pit lane.  Perez was 7th, Hulkenberg 8th, Lawson 9th (again from the back of the grid) and Colapinto 10th for points for Williams.  Magnussen and Gasly seemed like they should have been awarded points too.

The talk following the race would all be of the dubious awarding of penalties by the stewards.  Also whether McLaren should have given the place back quicker.  One of the big tragedies was that we didn't really see anything of the Ferraris drive.  Sainz praised the progress made by the team, he must be looking at Williams and wondering what is ahead of him next year.  LeClerc also thanked the team copiously.

Whilst it's a step towards the Drivers Championship for Verstappen, the Constructors Championship stretches wider open.  The pace is picking up with two more races on consecutive weekends, with some Sprints coming up too.

US GP Qualifying Report

There was no news between the Sprint Qualifying, Sprint race and the Qualifying session itself.  Lawson had a sixty place grid drop to take, with copious changes to the car.  RB could make this gamble as losing Ricciardo's Drivers Championship points makes no difference anymore.

In the first session his team mate, Tsunoda, could not stay on the track and had his lap time deleted twice but was ultimately able to get through in 9th, with his kind-of rookie team mate in 3rd.  Out went Albon, Colapinto, Bottas, Hamilton and Zhou.  Williams did not seem able to get some pace back at this track and are travelling backwards down the championship.  Still at least they were ahead of the multiple world champion.

With Lawson pretty much out of the running, RB played the team game and had him tow Tsunoda twice; to no success they were both out in the second session, book-ending the five drivers out.  In between was Hulkenberg, Ocon and Stroll.

In the final session, track limits came into play again.  Perez struggled.  Gasly also pretty much ran into Verstappen in the pit lane for a particularly unsafe release.  With just over a minute to go most drivers were out for a final flying lap, Norris holding pole from the first attempts.  It was all in vain as Russell spun off the track and into the safety barrier, the impact triggered the release of the medical car.  The double waved Yellow Flags meant that no one could put in a quicker lap legally.  One Brit gifted another pole.

Verstappen's best lap was only good for 2nd, then Sainz and LeClerc, Piastri, Russell, Gasly, Alonso, Magnussen and Perez last with no time set.  Russell had his hand to his helmet, which he kept on, as he got swiftly into the car without waving to the crowd.  

Vestappen seemed very happy with his front row position, positively beaming.  Sainz also believed he would be in the fight for the win.  Smiliest of them all was Norris.

US GP Sprint Report

There were some new bits of tarmac to worry about on the Austin track and Red Bull had some bit of kit on their car that other teams were worried about, not the FIA though.  We were back after an unusual wee holiday mid-season.

Sprint Qualifying is always hyped up but not really worth the interest.  Obviously both Saubers were out at the bottom, then Albon, who did a magnificent 360 degree spin at the end of his hot lap, Ocon and Piastri, whose fastest lap time was deleted after running wide and exceeding track limits, were out in the first session.

The second Qualifying session saw little grumbles from cars and drivers, all starting to trip over each other.  Perez could only manage 11th, Alonso 12th, Lawson (replacing Ricciardo) 13th and then Gasly and Stroll.  Both Haas were straight through to the final session at their home track.  Alonso suffered with a lap time deletion and was dropped to 15th.

In the third session, the other Williams of Colapinto also spun.  It was uncertain who would take pole, any driver from at least four teams could have taken it.  In the end Verstappen took it on the last possible lap, ahead of Russell.  Behind them was LeClerc, Norris (who needs the Sprint points), Sainz, Hulkenberg, Hamilton (who won't be happy sandwiched between two Haas), Magnussen, Tsunoda and Colapinto.

The next day, for the Sprint itself, Albon started from the pits and the Qualifying order was somewhat jumbled from all the deleted times.

There were plenty of battles off the line; Norris quickly made it up to second, with LeClerc and Russell battling behind.  Verstappen held his lead.  Things were quiet for a couple of laps and then the two Ferraris started to battle, dangerously so.  Russell caught back up with Norris and started to demand his place back.

Halfway through teams were beginning to get concerned about tyre wear; the Mercedes seemed to suffer the most with Russell losing places to both Ferraris.  Piastri was awarded a 5 second penalty for forcing Gasly off the track, with such a short, well, Sprint, it seemed to take an enormous length of time for the stewards to make this decision.

It looked like the main interest in the last couple of laps would be whether the Ferrari or Mercedes team mates would take each other out.  However, as the last lap started, Norris locked up and Sainz got past.  As it was looking like he could take the place back, he slid off again.  LeClerc held a massive drift as Verstappen rounded the corner ahead of them to win.

The podium was completed by Sainz then Norris, who will be kicking himself.  Tyre wear could potentially be a massive factor, alongside track limits in the main race.  LeClerc was ahead of the two Mercedes, then the two Haas, who ran a quiet race.  The top ten was completed by Perez and Piastri.

To round off the event, it was left to Sting to present some funny, large metal cards.  The FIA really can't decide how to celebrate and reward these races that aren't races without it seeming like the anti-climax it is.

America GP Race Report

Before the race had started we had both Aston Martins and both Haas starting from the pits, putting both Williams at the back of the grid.  The boxer Anthony Joshua radioed in to his newly owned driver Gasly to wish him good luck, which I suppose gets you extra coverage.

It was an amazing start for Norris and he took the lead from LeClerc, before the first lap had even ended the two Ferraris were fighting.  Russell was fighting to get past Ocon and was investigated for going off the track and gaining an advantage.  As soon as DRS was enabled, Russell and Perez were past the Alpine.  Hamilton then used his DRS to get past Sainz for third.  On lap 5, Verstappen overtook Sainz and on the next lap Hamilton overtook LeClerc.  DRS was really ruining this race.

Ocon retired his car with a big hole in the side after coming together with Piastri at the start; neither good luck wishes from Anthony Joshua nor golf lessons from Rory McIlroy could help him.  A fifth of the way into the race, Piastri had to retire too.

It was half way through the race that Verstappen inevitably took the lead from his pal Norris.  With 20 laps to go, Norris pitted again and triggered a chain reaction.

Poor Norris lost his second place to Hamilton with 7 laps to go.  Mercedes fed Lewis the little nugget he always needs to push: "Verstappen is managing a brakes problem."  With 6 laps to go LeClerc was told to let Sainz by despite messing the drivers about over tyre strategy.  Alonso retired having managed nearly the whole race.  Verstappen managed his brakes to bring the car back in first place, with Hamilton pushing close behind.

We haven't seen a race so determined by tyre strategy in many a long year and I remember being really frustrated by this in the past.  DRS is the new tyre strategy but this made a pleasant change.

Considering LeClerc started on pole, he finished 6th, not what is needed to keep things harmonious at Ferrari.

Considering Alonso decided to use the old car that they started the year with he was able to put in some good overtakes before retiring.

Ricciardo stole the Fastest Lap point from a top ten finisher by finishing both last and fastest, so he won't get the point himself.

The big grumbles about this race were: holes in your side, DRS, inconsistent wind, problems with the floor, track limits (although I think Albon was the only driver to receive a penalty), attending the race only to find out that two drivers were disqualified for shaving their floors on the track, thus running too low and gaining an advantage.

With LeClerc and Hamilton disqualified, both Williams scored points!  Gasly will also be 6th, which is a great result for Alpine.

America GP Sprint Report

Off they went up the crazy steep hill for 20 laps of racing and obviously Verstappen held pole with LeClerc getting away well in second too but being overtaken off the track by Hamilton.  They were battling hard, seemingly without worries for sustaining damage before the main event the next day.

Russell had been given a penalty for impeding LeClerc in the Shootout so was demoted to 11th.  He was up to 7th after a few laps but by overtaking Gasly and Piastri by going wide.  Drivers were pushing each other off the track left, right and centre and if their elbows were this sharp for the Sprint, there could be some tough battling in the race.  Russell was given a 5 point penalty.

A highpoint of the race for me was Albon overtaking the McLaren of Piastri for 9th place.  I wonder if Williams put all their eggs in the Sprint basket to get points this weekend as they qualified higher for the Sprint than for the race.

Piastri was the first driver to receive a black and white flag for track limits.  It took Perez half the race to realise how to drive the car and he suddenly came to life and started overtaking and working his way up the placings.

In the end, Verstappen won by a comfortable margin.  Hamilton was second and LeClerc third.  Norris was fourth ahead of Perez, who just can't find the same pace as Verstappen in that Red Bull.  Great to see four different teams in the top four positions.  Hopefully this can continue next year and there's more of a battle.

American GP Qualifying and Sprint Shootout Report

There was no real news going into the race weekend.  Verstappen is racing as a three times world champion, Danny Ricciardo is back after breaking his hand.  Piastri had trouble in the practice session and hasn't had much time to set up his car.

The first Qualifying session was uneventful until Verstappen was running 5th and told his current time was "on the bubble" for getting through to the next session.  He made it through but both Williams and both Aston Martins were out with the Haas of Hulkenberg (with a lap time deleted).  For such a strong start to the season, Aston Martin are really floundering; they passed on the news much more kindly to Alonso than Stroll.  Apparently they brought upgrades too.  Alonso said they were using these weekends as test sessions for next year.

In the second session, Russell, Perez and Ricciardo (with a lap time deleted) all struggled to show the same competition as their team mates.  Out went Tsunoda, Zhou, Bottas, Magnussen and Ricciardo.

During the crucial final session, Verstappen had a big wobble on his hot lap and then a second off but still hit pole position then had the lap time deleted.  Russell had a lap time deleted but just crossed the line in time to make a final run and qualified 5th, with his team mate in 3rd.  LeClerc took a brilliant pole, showing that Ferrari can be strong at this track, with Sainz in 4th.  Norris lines up 2nd alongside LeClerc, securing a much-needed Qualifying triumph over his team mate Piastri in 10th.  Verstappen was 6th with Perez in 9th and the two Alpines complete the top 10 in 7th and 8th.

Norris felt he could have had pole but wasn't too disappointed as he made mistakes.  Which LeClerc also admitted.  I remember when drivers never admitted mistakes.  It seemed like Schumacher insisted the team publish a problem whenever he made one.  Now, it is all about being humble.  Hamilton came out singing the praises of American and this circuit.

The next day, everyone moved on to the next Qualifying event, the Sprint Shootout.  In the first Shootout (?), LeClerc was 2 milliseconds behind Verstappen.  The Williams had dialled the car in and Albon was in 3rd although Sargeant was in last place.  Ahead of him and also out was an incredulous Tsnuoda, Bottas and the Haas of Magnussen and Hulkenberg,  Russell heavily impeded LeClerc.

In the second Shootout, Verstappen spun the car but reentered the track facing the right way, although his lap time was deleted.  Out went Ricciardo, Alonso, Ocon, Stroll and Zhou.  It makes you wonder what on Earth Williams were doing with their car yesterday as Albon went through in 10th.

By the end, the pole was Verstappen's for the losing, both Ferrari's right behind me looking for the smallest mistake from the Dutchman.  In the end he took it from LeClerc, with Hamilton, Norris, Piastri, Sainz, Perez, Russell, Albon and Gasly behind him.  All this and there's so much more racing to come.

CotA US GP Qualifying & Race Report

With a few grid penalties being taken, Qualifying was already almost redundant as a method of arranging the starting grid; we just had to enjoy Sainz' supreme performance to gain pole.  LeClerc was clearly frustrated in second and Verstappen had a double-word champion bounce and nonchalance about his third place.  Amidst it all, the paddock was waiting with pitch forks and placards to hear what punishment would be handed to Red Bull for their breach of the cost cap last year, with many people comparing it to the Spygate of yesteryear.  Then the Red Bull camp was shaken by the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.  How much this unsettles their future is unsure.  The team chose to celebrate their co-founder by playing the Rolling Stones instead of their usual dross and wearing jeans.  

On race day, the stars were out to see the spectacle.  They'd actually already missed it as Ricciardo arrived on track horseback and may as well have continued that way for the heady heights on 17th on the grid and finishing a thrilling one place off last, after a gripping battle with Latifi.  Geri Halliwell manhandled Ed Sheeran about the Red Bull garage for maximum publicity.

The passing of Mateschitz was somewhat preempted as he had been ill but what to do on race day was somewhat hastily prepared with David Coulthard trotted out to ask the crowd to applaud for an unspecified length of time.  Anyone associated with Red Bull was given front line status for this and drivers unblessed by the caffeinated spirit of extreme sports regulated to two lines back.  As Hamilton ranked in this number, he made sure to fist bump a large number of children, who didn't know who he was, who had been lined up next to the grid, presumably to promote inclusivity.

Hamilton then put in a complaint to his team about his brakes on his out lap, mechanics worked furiously to completely replace the brakes on both sides.  No problem with his start though.

Verstappen made a great start from second place and Sainz  a poor start from pole and was then bumped by Russell.  He spun, going to the back of the grid, radioing in with puncture then being wheeled into the garage.  I think he did longer driving Sky TV presenters around the track than he did in the race.  The Aston Martins did very well off the grid, in third and fifth on the second lap.  I'm sure it's not a spoiler to say they didn't finish that well.

Latifi spun his Williams on Lap 6, a notable race for him, as this is the first time his accidents have only had a negative effect on himself.

The race went on and Verstappen was struggling with wind.

People came into the pits, people came out.  Not much happened.  Then Bottas spun and beached himself in the gravel, which is quite a feat as CotA is mainly tarmac run off area.  A Safety Car came out and gave LeClerc, Vettel and Alonso a cheap pit stop.

Just after the Safety Car period finished, another started as Alonso took off over next year's team mate, Stroll.  I wonder who the new boss will blame, his expensive new star or his son?  I have no idea how but Alonso pitted and rejoined the race, still ahead of Ricciardo and Latifi.  Stroll was out of the race and with footage of cars driving through a lot of debris and smoke, the true extent of the damage was to be seen.

Gasly continues to be in the wrong place at the wrong time this season, being more than 10 car lengths behind the car in front during the Safety Car period and getting a 5 second penalty for that.  Turns out that, in the taking of the penalty, he was also in the wrong place at the wrong time and got another 5 second penalty.

Hamilton pitted to try the undercut with 20 laps to go and set off a fantastic chain of events.  Verstappen responded but had a shocker of a stop with a wheel gun failing.  LeClerc must have been told to do whatever Max did and also pitted, exiting the pits ahead of his rival.  In turn, they were behind Vettel leading the race with Hamilton behind him.  Hamilton overtook Vettel and went off to fight for his first win of the season and Vettel went into the pits for an abysmal stop that saw him drop right out of the points.  Predictably, Verstappen hunted down and overtook first LeClerc then Hamilton to take the win.  The action continued to the very end with Vettel and Magnussen racing for a few points and Russell taking the point for Fastest Lap off Red Bull.

Overall, probably one of the best races so far this season: a challenge for the drivers, nothing controversial coming out from the race directors and some great battles for the spectators.

US GP Race Report

It was all drama on the grid and I'm not referring to Martin Brundle being blanked by every celebrity, lavishly paid to attend, on the grid, his first grid walk with interviews allowed since the last race of 2018.  Gasly had serious engine issues with all the mechanics working hard with minutes to go.  They got it going, however the bumps broke his suspension not long after.

The first lap was thrilling.  Hamilton (and nearly Perez) took Verstappen at the start.  The track is so wide Sainz, Norris and Ricciardo had a huge battle, with Ricciardo finally coming out on top in 5th.  Three abreast battles are rare.  Unseen by us, Russell made up 6 places just on that lap including overtaking Vettel and Alonso.

It was predicted to be a two stop race.  Early doors, Alonso went for the undercut on Vettel (for 14th) and Verstappen went too.  When Hamilton did pit on Lap 14, he was quite far behind his rival.  The Red Bull strategists played a blinder this weekend.

Alonso and Raikkonen had an epic wheel to wheel battle, with parts flying off of the Alfa Romeo as he went over the curbs, pushed by the Spaniard.  It was noted by the stewards.  Nothing came of it.  Which was the right call.

A sudden Virtual Safety Car call came mid-race and we all waited to see what had happened...a marshal picked up some litter.  The drivers clearly weren't listening to Vettel asking the crowd not to leave litter on the Driver's Truck Lap pre-race.

LeClerc had a very quiet race and finished 4th, an excellent job.  Another fantastic performance was put in by Kimi Raikknan, who nearly finished 10th but had a big spin 3 laps from the end - a senior moment if you will.

When I was young, I bought the commentators notion that the second place driver could possibly overtake for the win.  Now I'm older, I know that, unless there's a serious cock-up, it won't happen.  Vestappen took the win, which gives me a successful race prediction at last.  I also thought that Perez and Ricciardo would do well, 3rd and 5th.

There were fireworks at the end, but we're used to that sort of thing.  Where were the showy extras?  No drivers introduced through music...nothing.  Then Shaquille O'Neill brought the trophy along in a car with horns (not the beep beep sort, the on-a-ranch sort).

As a final note, COTA is a sanitary product surely.

US GP - Qualifying Report

Unusually, this was watched live.  Unfortunately that means you can't fast forward through ad breaks, Zak Brown getting a tattoo, Paul di Resta...

There were no unusual losses in the first Qualifying session, with Stroll, Latifi, Raikkonen, Schumacher and Mazepin.  Maybe Giovinnazi knocking Stroll out, despite a spin.

Again, after Q2, no surprises: Ocon, Vettel, Giovinnazi, Alonso and Russell (with the one timed lap set deleted for going over track limits) out.  Staying up late to watch was looking like a big mistake.

And it was, Vestappen took the pole position, with Hamilton in second.  Perez (who held pole after the first round of laps) was third and Bottas fourth.  We were told to watch out for LeClerc whose Ferrari is much improved.  He came fifth and couldn't challenge the top 4.

USA GP - "Well done. Great weekend"

I'm typing this up two days after the race.  We just caught up on the post-race interviews and the most notable thing I can remember about the race is that Matthew McConaghay is a bit creepy.

From my notes....

Norris' move on Vettel on lap 1 was impressive, however the Ferraris had cold tyres.  Halloween came out to haunt the drivers with a bump...on the road.  It got Vettel on lap 8.  Ferrari were determined to have a poor race. With poorly prepared tyres, a poor pit stop for LeClerc.

It wasn't until lap 51 that the race really began.  Hamilton pushed Bottas off and then next lap Bottas retook the lead.

The big shocks of the race?  Hamilton has clocked up 6 drivers' championships....6?  Albon was voted driver of the day?

USA GP - Results

1. Evel Marque - 1,016*
2. Je suis Charlie - 1,006 *
3. PickedInAHurry - 975*
4. BottHaas - 943*
5. The Hope Fulls - 932*
6. Jack the Lad - 809*
7. The Pitstop Princess - 731*
8. Hippy F1 - 658*
9. Ferrari Rocher - 627
10. Francesco Bernoulli - 496*

* Home track played

US GP - "...finally"

I didn't make any notes for this race...and I watched it over two days...and I'm typing this on the third.

Thrilled that Kimi won a race.  Thrilled that Hamilton isn't world champion.  Very aware that Vettel would be a really poor world champion.

Next stop Mexico!

US GP - Results

1. Give it some Gasly! - 989*
2. Two world champions, two future world champions, and um, two other guys - 951*
3. Evel Marque - 938*
4. Maximum Attack! - 878
5. Hasstag#FaceBull - 743*
6. Beauty & the F1 Geek - 729*
7. The Hopefulls - 719*
8. No Vices Now - 711*
9. The Pitstop Princess - 614*
10. Halo, baby! - 608*
11. Spa Day with a Shooey - 567*
12. Hippy F1 - 525*
13. Jack Johnson - 517*
14. Wheels on Fire - 501

* Home track

US GP - "so proud to be part of it"

With such a dominant pole from Hamilton, I wasn't sure there would be much to watch in the race.  Pleasantly surprised but the ten minutes after the race ended were the most interesting.

The build up was very focused on Hamilton and Mercedes' triumphs and I wonder what they are now going to find to play next week, as the drivers' championship remains undecided.

When Jones announced that there was going to be a showcall, we knew we were in for a treat.  As Mr PSP predicted:...

"presenting...the backmarker...for Sauber...it's..."
"He's the man seeking to finish 21st in this 20 car race..."
"The one, the only, the legend...Wehrlein"

Then they skipped broadcasting the introductions to all the backmarkers!  Ricky Rocket was the only one who really embraced it...even Hamilton looked awkward.

And so the race started and for the first time in a long time, Mr PSP had not accidentally found out who the winner was in advance of watching.  Mainly because for the first time in a very long time, we were watching live.

The start also had a cheesy announcement: "Start your engines", which should really be: "get someone to start your engine".  It was a great start by everyone but especially Vettel, who nailed it and gave everyone hope for a thrilling race ahead.  Ricciardo added to the spice by some really aggressive driving to get past Bottas.  However, lap 6 saw DRS give the pass to Hamilton, followed ten laps later by Ricciardo bowing out.  Less rocket ship and more rocket ice lolly.

I was impressed that Stroll did manage to keep one driver behind him this race...Hartley.

The remaining action came from Raikkonen, passing Bottas, dallying with Verstappen and letting Vettel past: "Seb is now the car behind" - subtle.

Then we went to bed.

Then we watched the rest of the footage to see how and when Verstappen found out he was off the podium.  What an awkward podium room, Raikkonen just showed up and smiled and was literally handed the pink cap from Max's head.  I'm not surprised he threw it into the crowd and kept his sunnies on for the whole podium.

Hamilton asked Bolt to show him how to raise his hands in the air, then he got some shiny football boots.  I've deleted any further coverage.

US GP - Results

1. No Vices Now - 1,063*
2. Moneyball - 1,032*
3. Two World Champions, two future World Champions and, um, two other guys - 1,008*
4. Hoping for an Indian Summer - 944*
5. The Pitstop Princess - 938*
6. Evel Marque - 937*
7. Bernie is a hobbit - 920*
8. Jenson's Whinging Legacy - 888*
9. Even more hopeful - 871*
10. Burn After Racing - 785*
11. Beauty & the F1 Geek - 748*
12. BOT-RAI-PER - 624*
13. Slightly Slower Racing - 579
14. Hippy F1 - 568*

* Home track played

US GP - "Good job boy"

Starting at the beginning, what happened on Lap 1 between Bottas and Hulk?  Unfair.  At least it was a long stop for Force India and then he was out.  Then Lap 3, Button was suddenly 10th.  How?  By Lap 9, Race Control were investigating a lot with no action required anywhere.  There was quite a bit of overtaking, although the cars look so tiny on the wide track, that shouldn't be a surprise.  Then there were a few raised eyebrows coming up.  Rosberg wasn't happy to be playing "the long game". Verstappen made an unscheduled pit stop: "I thought you boxed me, sorry".  Followed by an engine failure for him, he definitely wouldn't be finishing 4th.  This led to a Virtual Safety Car and an opportunity for the conspiracy theorists to take centre stage.  Why did Verstappen park the car so as to cause a VSC if Ricciardo was not going to benefit from it?  By Lap 39, Raikkonen had to stop his car coming out of the pits with a wheel potentially unattached.  There were lots of bloopers during the race like this, including Ricciardo swearing about Rosberg.  I wish I knew what he really said.

I finished the race wondering why Bottas couldn't have made up more places and enjoying Alonso's "yeeha"!

US GP - Results

1. The Pitstop Princess - 1,051*
2. The Weak End of Bernie - 1.020*
3. Merc-redible Hulk - 939*
4. Halo, it's me - 927*
5. Hippy F1 - 880*
6. Claire has to type out this sentence each time as my team name - 877*
7. The Hopefuls - 745*
8. No Vices Now - 733*
9. The Maranello Marvels - 674*
10. Marian's Marvels - 641*
11.British Racing Green - 552*
12. Indiana Walker and the Tyres of Doom - 476
13. Put out to Pastor - 348*

*Home track played