Tuesday the 20th was marked by preparations for the United States Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen arrived in Austin aiming for a third consecutive win in Formula One. Mercedes and Ferrari also rolled out updates for the weekend, while Gabriel Bortoleto tries to rebound after a tough spell with Audi.
Verstappen arrives riding a wave of wins in the last two races and benefiting from Red Bull’s strong recovery since the updates introduced in Azerbaijan. The Dutchman has won four of the last five races held at the Circuit of the Americas and now has the opportunity in Austin to confirm that the RB22’s recent leap also holds up on tracks with different characteristics.
At Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will have access to the updated front wing that had previously only been tested by the Italian during Singapore’s first free practice session. At that time the team owned just one unit of the component and chose not to deploy it in competitive sessions due to the risk of damage. Production has since been accelerated, allowing both W17s to run the novelty in the United States.
The Ferrari team is also preparing changes for Austin. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will wear race suits with a stronger white presence, part of a collaboration with HP that also fuels expectations for a potential special livery for the SF-26. Leclerc, however, acknowledged that the team is still “a little behind” the frontrunners when it comes to raw performance.
Bortoleto arrives in Texas aiming to end a five-race streak without scoring points. The Brazilian said he wants to “start the three-race sequence on the right foot” and also highlighted the importance of Mattia Binotto in his development, describing Audi’s chief as a “mentor, friend and boss.”
The United States Grand Prix will also feature a major change in its format. After three consecutive Sprint weekends, Austin returns to the traditional schedule with TL1, TL2 and TL3 prior to qualifying. Honda will also celebrate its 500th F1 appearance, with a special visual identity on Aston Martin cars over the weekend.
