The United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of the Americas, is the next race in the Formula 1 calendar.
The Circuit of the Americas is one of the best circuits for fans to experience pure racing, where the track has been specifically designed with wide corners and straights to provide as much overtaking possibility as can be granted to make the sport interesting while still making racing a challenge.
And it is a circuit where both Sainz, P3 last year in 2023 and Leclerc, P3 the year before, would like to come good.
That leaves us with a burning question. But first up-
What has Ferrari been up to this season?
Ferrari has seen some great results this year. In the beginning of the season, Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix.
Then Charles Leclerc made history as he won his home race. Charles Leclerc became the only Monegasque to win the Monaco Grand Prix. Soon after, Charles dominated the track at Ferrari’s home race and won at the Temple of Speed, Leclerc was at the top podium in Monza.
Signature Red at COTA
Source- Scuderia Ferrari Instagram
Ferrari have had a back-and-forth result at COTA since the Smooth Operator joined back in 2021.
Since 2022, only one of the drivers has had a high place finish, while the other has not finished at all or was disqualified. But this year Ferrari have a great car, aided by Fred Vassuer’s amazing leadership and decision making skills. And most important Ferrari have the ‘Smooth Operator’ Carlos Sainz and ‘Il Predestinato’ Charles Leclerc as their drivers.
The SF-24, is a car which provides the drivers with the tools necessary to win, albeit the car is not as fast as the McLaren MCL38, but it still is a contender.
The best example is from Ferrari’s victory at The Temple of Speed in Monza, where the Leclerc’s SF-24 flew past the finish line first. The car has a few kinks to iron out but the team can easily manage to grant both driver’s two cars in peak condition.
What to expect?
Source- Scuderiaferrari Instagram
Qualifying shall set the pace from the very start of the race. Pole sitter has the best opportunity to get away from the driver behind in the first turn, as it is a 134 feet climb and then descent into turn 2.
Then the flowy turns 2 to 5 test the drivers’ throttle control. The drivers’ have to apply just the right amount of throttle to maneuver through these turns to maintain the pace while also staying on the track. Both Sainz and Leclerc have good pace going into turns and coming out.
Lando Norris will be a difficult hurdle in Ferrari’s way in qualifying for pole.
Source- landonorris (Instagram)
The MCL38 is the fastest car on the grid right now, but if we see a repeat of what happened in qualifying in Baku, Norris could easily miss out on Pole position. All Sainz and Leclerc have to do is qualify as high as possible to have the best chances of finishing at the top.
Tire strategy is very important
Ferrari, last year conducted a test during the Sprint Race at COTA. They found that Sainz, who had soft tires, lost pace due to high degradation of the soft compound.
Leclerc on the other hand, started with mediums and finished higher than his starting position. It was found that mediums allowed the car to gain pace after the compound came within the proper operating window.
Ferrari needs to have a proper tire strategy figured out by race day, if they want to win. Ferrari have lost a few races this year to bad strategies. Due to COTA having a Sprint Race, teams will only have one practice session. Ferrari needs to assess each tire’s pace, degradation and grip in that one practice session.
Leclerc and Sainz both have the ability to keep the car’s pace up while racing on old tires, Ferrari needs to capitalize on that ability and let the Smooth Operator and il Predestinato do their job.
Ferrari at the Circuit of the Americas
The Tifosi have constantly been either on the edge of their seats or slumped in their chairs, as Ferrari’s results this season are all over the place.
Both Sainz and Leclerc have it in them to win, as proved by them multiple times on the track. But Ferrari messes up the race for the drivers, with bad tire strategy or bad pitstop strategy, or just a bad pitstop.
The upcoming race in Austin, Texas, is going to be a crucial race for this season of Formula 1.
The winner of the championship could very well be decided in this race. Ferrari have the biggest opportunity in their hands, they could easily dictate the outcome of both championships – the Drivers’ and the Constructors’at this race.
Where it stands at the moment, Leclerc is just 34 points behind Norris and Ferrari just 34 points behind Red Bull.
The maximum points that can be scored are 34 at this sprint weekend. COTA is going to be a thriller of an event, if not for all teams, especially for Ferrari.