Circuit of the Americas, also known as COTA, played host to the 2021 United States Grand Prix. The race made a return to the F1 calendar after a hiatus of two years. The circuit, one of the few anti-clockwise tracks on the F1 calendar, boasts a 30.6m elevation change along with some fast flowing corners.

Leading up to the Grand Prix weekend, the F1 world was abuzz with a host of updates. The FOM announced a 23 race calendar for 2022, with the season opener in Bahrain followed by Saudi Arabia. F1 and NBA announced a "content and promotion partnership" for the US GP weekend. The tie-up was also to celebrate 75 years of NBA. 

F3 racer Logan Sargeant joined the Williams Driver Acadamey as part of a long-term agreement. 

Aston Martin and Williams decided to give Vettel and Russell a new engine unit. As a result, the duo would start the race from the back of the grid. Despite taking a 5th ICE, Mercedes deemed it necessary to opt for a 6th unit on Bottas' car, which resulted in a five-place grid drop for the race.

Mercedes had brought in upgrades and hoped to help Hamilton overturn the six points deficit to Verstappen. Likewise, Ferrari looked to jump McLaren in the standings. How did the teams and drivers fare at one of the most demanding circuits on the F1 calendar?

Time for a recap of the US GP weekend!

Practice :

FP1 got underway, and Alonso's Alpine ground to a halt at turn 12. The session got Red Flagged briefly. Thankfully, the Spaniard returned in the latter half of the session. Leclerc lost the rear of his Ferrari through turn five and had a trip across the gravel. It was an eventful session for the Haas duo, with Mazepin suffering a spin at turn 19 and Schumacher banging wheels with Perez at 12. While Raikkonen suffered from a spin at turn 9, Giovinazzi had to pit for a helmet change. Track limits got enforced at turns 9 and 19, and there were several time deletions.

Bottas topped the timesheets, five-hundredths clear of Hamilton in P2. Verstappen was P3, followed by the Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Sainz. Gasly was P6 for Alpha Tauri, with Perez and Norris P7 and P8, respectively. The Alfa Romeos of Giovinazzi and Raikkonen completed the top 10. 

Russell was P11 for Williams. The Aston Martins of Stroll and Vettel split the Alpines of Ocon and Alonso in P12 and P13. Ricciardo was P16 in the other McLaren, followed by Latifi and Tsunoda. The Haas duo of Schumacher and Mazepin brought up the rear of the field.

It was time for Free Practice 2, and the teams began their race simulation runs in full earnest. Hamilton and Verstappen went wheel-to-wheel at turn one, which compromised the latter's timed lap. Verstappen made his displeasure known over team radio. Norris had a troublesome FP2; the Briton had to pit to address an issue on the left-hand side of his cockpit. He then suffered a lock-up at turn 11, which flat-spotted his mediums. However, he recovered to set the 2nd quickest time! Alonso lost a portion of his rear wing endplate after suffering from a spin at turn 19. Hamilton, like several others, had his lap time deleted after exceeding the track limits at turn 19.

It was Perez who ended FP2 the quickest, from Norris and Hamilton. Bottas was P4 in the other Mercedes, followed by Ricciardo and Stroll. Verstappen split the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz in P8, while Giovinazzi completed the top 10 in his Alfa Romeo.

Gasly split the Alpines of Ocon and Alonso in P12, followed by Raikkonen, Vettel and Tsunoda. Schumacher was P17 for Haas, with the Williams of Latifi and Russell P18 and P19. Mazepin finished P20 at the back of the field.

COTA had never been a happy hunting ground for Red Bull, but the Milton-Keynes based outfit displayed competitive pace in the race simulations. As for Mercedes, both Hamilton and Bottas were consistent with their lap times. Ferrari seemed to have a better race pace than McLaren, but the latter edged them out on low fuel runs.

Alpine announced that Alonso would take his 4th Power Unit of the season, which sent him to the back of the grid for the Grand Prix.

The final Practice session ( FP3 ) got underway, and it was time to prepare for Qualifying. While Bottas suffered a spin at turn 7, Hamilton ran wide at turn 9, which resulted in his lap time getting deleted. Verstappen set the quickest time of FP3 but, like Hamilton, exceeded track limits at turn 19 and had his lap time deleted. A spin at turn 5 resulted in Russell flat-spotting his soft tyres.

Perez topped the timesheets again from Sainz and Verstappen. Norris was P4 for McLaren, followed by the Mercedes duo of Bottas and Hamilton and teammate Ricciardo. Gasly, Leclerc and Ocon completed the top 10. 

Vettel was P11 for Aston Martin, while Raikkonen split the Williams of Russell and Latifi in P13. Giovinazzi was P14 in the other Alfa Romeo, followed by Stroll and Alonso. Tsunoda, Schumacher and Mazepin completed the rear of the field.

Qualifying :

The track had gotten bumpier, and Red Bull discovered a hairline crack on the rear wing of Verstappen's car. The mechanics replaced it and got the car ready for Qualifying. There was a 40% chance of rain in the session, and the stands were full of fans waiting for the lights to go green for Qualifying.

Q1 got underway, and everyone chose the soft tyres for their first runs. Mazepin got his lap time deleted after exceeding the track limits at turn 19 and then ended up impeding Vettel on a quick lap, attracting the ire of the German. Mazepin was on the receiving end when Stroll got into his way on a flying lap. Both incidents got written off by the stewards. Meanwhile, Raikkonen and Stroll suffered lap deletions after exceeding the track limits at turn 19.

Ricciardo, Verstappen, Norris, Sainz, Perez and Bottas were the top 6 at the end of the first runs, with Alonso, Latifi, Schumacher, Raikkonen and Mazepin facing elimination.

Ricciardo, Norris and Sainz decided to stay put while the rest of the field headed out onto the track for their final runs of Q1. The Mercedes duo chose a used set of soft tyres for their second attempt. Giovinazzi got spun around after exiting turn one, which briefly brought out the yellow flags. The Alfa Romeo driver fell backwards and was on the cusp of elimination in P15. However, he made it into Q2. Stroll, Latifi, Raikkonen, Schumacher and Mazepin got eliminated, with Leclerc, Verstappen and Perez ending Q1 as the top 3. 

The front runners had preserved their medium tyres for Q2. Both the drivers at Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull chose the mediums while Ferrari split strategies by giving Sainz the soft tyres and Leclerc the mediums. While Tsunoda, Russell and Alonso chose a used set of soft tyres, Gasly and Ocon opted for the mediums. Vettel and Giovinazzi decided to stay put and planned a single attempt. With mixed tyres choices across the field, Q2 promised to be an exciting affair. 

Ricciardo and Perez had their lap times deleted after exceeding the track limits at turn 9 and 19. Russell, too, suffered a similar fate. Halfway through the session, Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc, Bottas and Sainz were the top 6, while Perez, Ricciardo, Russell, Vettel and Giovinazzi were in the drop zone. Those in the drop zone were yet to set a representative lap. 

Perez decided to head out early on a new set of medium tyres and managed only the 7th quickest time. Meanwhile, Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc and Bottas chose to not run again in Q2. The Alpha Tauri drivers and Vettel chose a fresh set of softs, Alonso the used while the others persisted with the mediums. Russell suffered from a lap time deletion after he exceeded track limits at turn 9. 

The following drivers went through to Q3 - Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc, Bottas, Sainz, Perez, Gasly, Ricciardo and Tsunoda. 

Ocon, Vettel, Giovinazzi, Alonso and Russell got eliminated.

It was time for the final shootout ( Q3 ), and the Alpha Tauri drivers chose a used set of softs for their first timed laps. At the end of the first runs, Perez was the quickest driver, a hundredth clear of Verstappen with Bottas and Hamilton in P3 and P4. Halfway through Q3, the classification was two-by-twos; first, the Red Bulls, followed by the Mercedes and the Ferraris and then the  McLarens and the Alpha Tauris.

Everyone exited the pits on a new set of soft tyres. McLaren informed Norris that light rain would hit the circuit ( at turn 1 ) near the end of Qualifying. On their final attempts, Bottas failed to improve in sectors one and two. Hamilton went purple in sector two, Verstappen in one, while Perez set personal best sector times. 

Verstappen bagged pole position from Hamilton! Hamilton finished in P2, two-tenths adrift of the Dutchman. Perez had excessive wheelspin at the end and had to settle for P3. Although Bottas set the 4th quickest time, his penalty dropped him down to P9. Leclerc inherited P4, with teammate Sainz in P5 for Ferrari. The McLarens of Ricciardo and Norris were P6 and P7, while Gasly took the other spot on row 4 in P8. Row 5 got occupied by Bottas and Tsunoda. 

Red Bull finally found the sweet spot at COTA and seemed to have the measure of their rivals on Sunday. Verstappen produced a stellar lap and extracted the best out of his car. Although Hamilton was alongside him on the front row, Red Bull had Perez in P3 to play the perfect support role to his teammate. Perez had been strong all weekend, and P3 was a great starting position to launch a two vs one attack on Hamilton. 

As for Hamilton and Mercedes, the Briton had struggled with grip levels throughout Qualifying. Hamilton cut a dejected figure as he made his way back to the pits and knew that he had to dig deep if he hoped to outdo Verstappen. He had been the most successful driver at COTA and had the experience to turn his fortunes come Sunday. Meanwhile, Bottas, down in P9, had his work cut out for race day. Thankfully, with the myriad overtaking opportunities on offer, recovering to a satisfactory result was possible for Bottas. Reliability, however, remained the biggest concern for Mercedes.

Ferrari continued their resurgence, outperforming McLaren on Saturday. However, Sainz was at a disadvantage after having set his best lap in Q2 on soft tyres. Tyre preservation in the first stint was paramount for his chances of a strong result. Ferrari needed to make the right strategic calls if they hoped to outscore and reduce the deficit to McLaren. 

The McLaren duo of Ricciardo and Norris was right behind the Ferrari drivers on the grid. Both Ricciardo and Norris would start on the medium tyres, putting them at an advantage against Sainz ( if not Leclerc ). McLaren had had two humbling race weekends and needed to turn things around in the Championship to cement their hold on P3.

Alpha Tauri had reason to rejoice after seeing both its drivers in the top 10 again. Tsunoda had stepped up his performances and made another Q3 appearance, his second consecutive one. The consistency that Gasly had displayed throughout the season had given Alpha Tauri much encouragement. With Alpine and Aston Martin having one of their drivers at the back of the grid ( due to penalties ), COTA presented Alpha Tauri with a golden opportunity to outscore the rivals in their quest for P5 in the Constructors.  

P11 was the best that Ocon could manage despite the tows provided by Alonso in both Q1 and Q2. Alonso, meanwhile, with his engine penalty, would start P19. Both drivers had the luxury of a free tyre choice, and Ocon was Alpine's best hope to score points on the weekend. As for Alonso, the Spaniard faced a long Sunday afternoon as he tried to charge through the back of the pack. 

Aston Martin found themselves in a similar situation to Alpine. While Stroll managed a disappointing P13, Vettel would start P18 after his engine penalty. The team had produced commendable race strategies in the past, yet points finishes had eluded at least one driver. Aston Martin couldn't afford mediocrity on race day. 

Giovinazzi won the intra-team battle in Qualifying against Raikkonen for 2021. However, the latter has been the more consistent of the two on race day. With the 2nd seat still up for grabs at Alfa Romeo, Giovinazzi will be aiming to get into the top 10 and add more points to his season tally. As for Raikkonen, he has all to do on Sunday from P15. 

Williams will be hoping for a trouble-free weekend for both its drivers. Russell starts P20 after his engine penalty while Latifi is in P14. The Grove-based outfit will be hoping to capitalize on the slip-ups of those ahead to extract something fruitful from the weekend. As for Haas F1, P16 and P17 are good starting points, but the cars lack the pace to sustain a credible challenge. However, the team would be hoping for a decent showing at their home race.

Race :

Clear skies and hot weather greeted the drivers on race day. Alpha Tauri detected a sensor issue on Gasly's car, and the mechanics quickly replaced it on the grid.

C2, C3 and C4 were the tyre compounds available for the Grand Prix. Outside the top 10, Ocon and Vettel started the race on a used set of mediums while the others had fresh sets available.

The five red lights went out, and it was a clean getaway for both Verstappen and Hamilton. However, Hamilton had reacted slightly quicker to the lights and gained momentum into turn one. Verstappen tried to cut him off, but Hamilton refused to back out. Eventually, Hamilton took the lead of the race while Verstappen got pushed off into the runoff. The Dutchman rejoined the track and would have gotten relegated to P3, but Perez backed out of the challenge. Further down the field, Latifi clipped the back of Stroll's car, which sent the latter into a spin and left the duo at the back of the pack.

Sainz and Ricciardo went wheel-to-wheel in the battle for P5, and as the duo bickered, Norris tried to take advantage down the back straight. Sainz got boxed into a McLaren sandwich and had to cede position to Ricciardo. Meanwhile, the Alfa Romeo duo of Giovinazzi and Raikkonen was up to P11 and P12, respectively. Vettel and Alonso had moved up to P14 and P15.

Verstappen was the quickest man on track as he tried to maintain pressure on Hamilton. Meanwhile, Bottas tried to challenge Tsunoda for P8 but lost P9 to Gasly instead on lap 3. Ocon had suffered front wing endplate damage on the opening lap after contact with Giovinazzi and had to pit on lap 4. The Frenchman switched to hard tyres and rejoined in P20. Latifi also pitted for a new front wing and hard tyres on lap six and managed to stay ahead of Ocon after exiting from the pits. 

Hamilton, Verstappen, Perez, Leclerc, Ricciardo, Sainz, Norris, Tsunoda, Gasly and Bottas were the top 10 at the end of lap 7.

Meanwhile, Alonso and Giovinazzi pitted on laps 8 and 9, Alonso switching to the hards while Giovinazzi opted for the mediums again. On the track, Vettel got past Russell for P12. Tsunoda and Russell pitted for hard tyres on lap 10, rejoining in P14 and P17. Verstappen, Norris and Gasly followed suit a lap later. Verstappen had built a considerable gap to the rest of the field and rejoined behind Ricciardo in P5. He then overtook Ricciardo and began to set blistering lap times. Further down the field, Tsnuoda overtook Gasly and Schumacher to bag P12. 

Ricciardo and Sainz pitted for hard tyres on lap 12, rejoining in P7 and P9. Norris got past Stroll for P12, while Ocon overtook Schumacher for P18 on lap 12. Lap 13 saw Perez and Raikkonen pit for medium tyres and Leclerc for hards. Perez rejoined the race in P3, Leclerc in P5 and Raikkonen in P15. Meanwhile, Vettel got relegated to P9 by Sainz and Norris. Verstappen was now the fastest driver on the track as Hamilton got called in by Mercedes for a switch to the hard tyres. The Briton rejoined the race in P2, 6 seconds behind Verstappen. 

Gasly reported a rear suspension issue and had to retire from the race on lap 15. Meanwhile, Mercedes asked Bottas to push as they prepared for his pit stop on lap 16. The Finn switched to hard tyres, rejoining in P11. Raikkonen got side-by-side with Alonso in the battle for P13, and the duo made contact at turn one. Raikkonen muscled past Alonso but suffered floor damage to his car. A livid Alonso alleged that Raikkonen had completed an overtake off the racing line, but the stewards saw the overtake as legitimate and refused to investigate further. Vettel pitted for the medium tyres on lap 18 and rejoined in P15.

Stroll lost two positions to Tsunoda and Bottas and pitted immediately after for a fresh set of mediums on lap 19. The Canadian rejoined behind his teammate Vettel in P15. Meanwhile, Raikkonen was lapping quicker than Giovinazzi, and the team ordered a position swap ( for P10 ) on lap 19. Bottas, after several attempts, finally got past Tsunoda for P8. Giovinazzi got relegated to P12 by Alonso on lap 21, but it was an illegal overtake as the latter drove off the track and gained an advantage. The stewards instructed Alonso to return the place to Giovinazzi, and he complied with their request on lap 24. Alonso returned for bout two, and this time, Giovinazzi took to the runoff while defending P11. It was his turn to receive instructions to cede P11 to Alonso. 

Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Leclerc, Ricciardo, Sainz, Norris, Bottas, Tsunoda and Raikkonen were the top 10 at the end of lap 26. 

Mazepin switched to the medium tyres on lap 26, while Vettel got past Russell for P13. Latifi and Giovinazzi pitted for hard tyres, while Ocon for the mediums, a lap later. The stewards decided to deploy the Virtual Safety Car as a marshall cleared debris off the track. The period was a brief one. 

At the front, Hamilton was honing in on Verstappen and had reduced the deficit to 3 seconds ( lap 29 ). Ferrari informed Leclerc that the hard tyres were lasting longer than anticipated. Verstappen made the second stop of his race on lap 30, taking on a fresh set of hard tyres. Alonso did likewise and rejoined in P14. Sainz pitted next for new hard tyres but got held up due to a slow right rear swap. The Spaniard rejoined in P8. On the track, Verstappen got past teammate Perez for P2. McLaren, having seen Sainz's pit stop, instructed Ricciardo to push to effect the overcut. It was mission accomplished for McLaren and Ricciardo as he pitted on lap 31. However, Norris wasn't able to jump Sainz after the team opted to double-stack its drivers.

The second round of pit stops continued with Raikkonen and Russell pitting for hard tyres and rejoining in P12 and P16. Leclerc's switch to the hard tyres on lap 33 was perfect timing as the Monegasque rejoined in P4, just ahead of Bottas. Perez was the fastest man on track as Tsunoda pitted for hard tyres and had to fend off a challenge by Raikkonen for P11 after rejoining the race. Stroll fell back to P12 after getting overtaken by Tsunoda and Raikkonen and pitted for hard tyres on lap 36. Bottas, too, switched to a fresh set of hard tyres, rejoining in P7. 

Mercedes tried to extend Hamilton's stint to give him fresher tyres near the end of the race. The Briton pitted for his 2nd stop on lap 38, rejoining almost 9 seconds adrift of Verstappen. Further down the field, Vettel and Alonso switched to the hards and the mediums on laps 39 and 40.

Hamilton was the quickest man on track and reduced the deficit to Verstappen to 6 seconds. A mechanical issue on Ocon's car led to his retirement on lap 42. Mazepin and Raikkonen got served Black and White flags for exceeding track limits during the race. Meanwhile, Alonso got past Stroll for P13.

Sainz had closed up on Ricciardo and began to pressure him for P5. On lap 42, the duo made contact, and Sainz suffered damage to the endplate of his front wing. The gap at the front was down to 1.9 seconds as Hamilton continued to lap faster than Verstappen. 

Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Leclerc, Ricciardo, Sainz, Bottas, Norris, Tsunoda and Raikkonen were the top 10 at the end of lap 48.

Stroll got served a Black and White flag for exceeding track limits on lap 49, and Alonso had to retire his Alpine after discovering that his rear wing broke ( lap 51 ). Meanwhile, Vettel relegated Giovinazzi to P12 and now had Raikkonen in his sights. A rare error by Raikkonen sent his car into a spin and through the gravel. The Finn fell out of the points and down to P12 ( lap 53 ). The battle for P6 was hotting as Bottas closed in on Sainz. Despite a couple of failed attempts, the Finn finally got past on the penultimate lap. After his trip across the gravel on lap 53, Raikkonen's tyres got destroyed, and Stroll caught up to him and relegated him to P13.

At the front, Hamilton was within one second of Verstappen as he tried to make one last attempt for the race victory. Verstappen managed to maintain the gap and took the win at the US GP! Hamilton had to settle for 2nd. Perez finished the race in P3, completing a double podium for Red Bull.  P4 was the best that Leclerc could manage in his Ferrari, followed by Ricciardo and Bottas in the other Mercedes. Sainz had to settle for P7, followed by Norris, Tsunoda and Vettel, who completed the top 10.

Stroll split the Alfa Romeos of Giovinazzi and Raikkonen in P12, with the Williams of Russell and Latifi in P14 and P15, respectively. Schumacher and Mazepin completed the 17 classified finishers. 

It was another double podium finish for Red Bull and Honda's first victory on American soil! More importantly, Verstappen emerged victorious, extending his lead over Hamilton to 12 points in the Drivers Championship. Verstappen displayed stellar skills at tyre management, which helped him keep Hamilton at bay in the end. Perez finished a commendable P3, having completed the entire race without his drinks system in operation. It had been a challenging weekend, but Red Bull and Verstappen had broken Mercedes dominance at COTA. The aggressive strategy adopted by the team paid dividends. The team also managed to outscore Mercedes and reduce the deficit to 23 points in the Constructors. 

Another tactical error by Mercedes cost Hamilton a shot at victory. While the team wanted to give Hamilton fresher tyres at the end, they pitted him too late. However, Hamilton managed to grab the point for the fastest lap in addition to the 18 from P2 in the race. Despite having the best straight-line speed, Bottas struggled with his overtakes, and P6 was the maximum that he could extract on race day. The Finn also saw his lead cut to 35 points in the fight for P3 in the Championship. Reliability remained Mercedes' Achilles heel. 

Leclerc drove a lonely race in P4 but brought home a valuable points haul for Ferrari. Although Sainz had the pace to produce a better result, he had to settle for P7. Ferrari outscored McLaren by 4 points, reducing the deficit to 3.5 points. The Italian outfit was going through a resurgence and needed to carry the same momentum into the final five races.

P5 and P8 are what Ricciardo and Norris had to show for their efforts. Having started P6 and P7, the duo would have hoped to fare better. Norris lost P4 in the Championship to Perez, and his hopes of finishing third were slowly fading away. Ricciardo had newfound momentum since the summer break and was performing at comparable levels to Norris. His duel with Sainz allowed Leclerc to pull away. Nevertheless, McLaren got 14 valuable points from its drivers, still holding onto P3 in the Constructors, albeit by a mere 3.5 points. They needed to outperform their archrivals in the upcoming rounds.

Tsunoda produced a commendable drive in P9, bringing home 2 points for Alpha Tauri. The team was in contention for double points finish until Gasly's suspension failure. Despite the disappointment of a driver DNF, they managed to outscore Alpine, edging closer to the P5 spot in the standings. They now trailed Alpine by only 10 points. 

Aston Martin would have left COTA without a point had it not been for Raikkonen's error on lap 53. Vettel, however, took full advantage and held on to P10 at the end to ensure that Aston Martin didn't leave empty-handed. Stroll's race got compromised at the first turn of the opening lap, and the Canadian had to fight for scraps at the end of the day. Aston Martin trails Alpha Tauri by 32 points and needs a miracle to overturn that deficit.

Mechanical failures put both Ocon and Alonso out of the race. It was a forgettable weekend for Alpine, and it was back to the drawing board for the Enstone-based outfit. They couldn't afford any more slip-ups, especially with Alpha Tauri now within striking distance.

It was a case of "so near yet so far" for Alfa Romeo. Raikkonen was on course for a P10 finish when an uncharacteristic error bumped him out of the points. Giovinazzi, despite his heroics on Saturday, had his race compromised after the early stop. The Italian finished a commendable P11, showcasing good defensive skills against the more experienced contenders. Alfa Romeo has suffered from missed opportunities in 2021, and with five races remaining, the possibility of catching Williams seems bleak.

Russell and Latifi finished P14 and P15, capping off another disappointing showing by Williams. The team's travails in race-spec seem unending. They still have a 16 point cushion to Alfa Romeo. Nevertheless, the car's issues need addressing at the earliest. The Haas duo of Schumacher and Mazepin managed to complete another race and add more miles to their racing CV. Haas remains the only team yet to score a point in 2021, and it would be prudent to shift focus to 2022.

Red Bull and Verstappen had broken Mercedes' streak of dominance at COTA. Verstappen produced a stellar drive, and Red Bull pulled off a masterstroke with their strategy calls. The team is purpose-driven to claim top honours in both the Drivers and the Constructors. Mercedes powered cars face difficulties with the lower temperatures seen in Mexico, the next race on the F1 calendar.

Will we see Verstappen and Co emerge victorious in Mexico, or will Hamilton hit back with purpose in the 2nd race on the American subcontinent? Time will reveal all!

Until then, kudos to Red Bull and Verstappen for yet another race day masterclass! 

Welcome to Raceday!!

A Battle Royale awaited us on Sunday and it was a battle that didn't disappoint!

Enroute to the Circuit :

The Vintage Cars to be used during the Drivers' Track Parade on display :

With Kimi Raikkonen's Chariot :

A Beautiful morning at the Circuit of the Americas :

3 teams were protesting against the Funds Distribution on F1 and Sunday Morning in the paddock was tense.

Gerard Lopez ( Lotus F1 Team Principal ) in conversation with Monisha Kaltenborn ( Sauber F1 Team Principal ) :

Breakfast Time :

Shots from the Paddock. A certain Emerson Fittipaldi featuring here :

The Ferrari V8 Cars on the Starting Grid :

We were soon joined by Giancarlo Fisichella ( Ferrari Test Driver ) :

Video Link :

His Departure meant the arrival of the Spaniard, the 2 Time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso :

Video Link of Alonso's Interview :

Sky Sports F1 readying themselves for the Pre-Race Show :

Soon it was time to go downstairs for the Final Pit Lane Walk of the Weekend.

The Pit lane looking ready for the race :

Teams busy practicing their Pit Stops :

Sahara Force India F1 Team gathering together for a Photo Shoot :

The Podium which will be ready for the race winner :

I had the privilege of getting close to the drivers as they were leaving for the Drivers' Track Parade!!

Video Link for "Drivers enroute to the Track Parade" :

Drivers getting into their Vintage Cars :

Video Link :

An Airplane promoting a F1 Car Event :

The FIA Weigh Bridge which will see a lot of activity post race :

The Drivers returning from the Track Parade :

Video Link :

The Safety Car, Mercedes SLS - AMG :

The pre-race show on track :

I rushed back upstairs to finish a quick lunch :

It was time to go outside and watch the preparations for the Grand Prix.

Cars rolling out of the Garages :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 rolls out :

F1 Team Bosses, Celebrities ensure that the Paddock is abuzz with activity :

Shots from the Starting Grid :

The Clock ran down and it was time for the start of the Formation Lap :

Video Link of the Formation Lap :

The Mechanics running back to the garages after the cars roll out for the Formation Lap :

Video Link for Nico Rosberg's Pit Stop :

Video Link for Lewis Hamilton's Pit Stop :

Video Link for Daniel Ricciardo's Pit Stop :

Pastor Maldonado was penalised with a 5 sec Stop Go Penalty which he served during his pit stop.

Video Link :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 during the Race :

Video Link for Fernando Alonso's Pit Stop :

Video Link for Kimi Raikkonen's Pit Stop :

Video Link for Kimi Raikkonen's 2nd Pit Stop :

Lewis Hamilton took the lead from Nico Rosberg and once the move was done, he was unchallenged.

The pitlane was abuzz with activity as the Chequered Flag was being waved.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg completed another 1-2 for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team. Daniel Ricciardo was P3 for Red Bull Racing.

Fernando Alonso was P6 for Ferrari while Kimi Raikkonen struggled and finished a disappointing P13.

Another weekend to forget as a Raikkonen Fan. :(

Sky Sports F1 interviewing the Mercedes AMG Petronas Pit Wall :

Cars coming on to Parc fermé :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 on Parc fermé :

There were a huge number of Lewis Hamilton Fans at the circuit and all of them congregated in front of the Mercedes Garage to celebrate his victory. They were even featured on Sky Sports F1 :

In the Sea of Lewis Hamilton Fans, there were a handful of Kimi Raikkonen admirers. A pleasure to see them!

Soon Enough it was time for the Mechanics gather all the equipment, put them in containers and ship them to Brazil, a race happening the next weekend.

The Fans walking on track towards the garages at the Circuit of the Americas :

The Ferrari Formula 1 Club that had hosted us over the weekend :

Some more shots from the Suite :

Replica of the 2007 engine that won Kimi Raikkonen the Drivers' World Championship and Ferrari the Constructors' Championship :

A moment with Ma'am Shotije Bega, Simona De Filippis and Emilia Capasso from Ferrari :

I left the suite and went upstairs to the Paddock Lounge to get some final shots of the Circuit.

The Circuit in the setting sun :

There were some really interesting cycle rickshaws near the Main Grandstand at the Circuit :

The Final shots from the Circuit of the Americas :

Thank you for a great weekend Formula 1!!

Saturdays mean early morning starts and Day 2 of the 2014 United States GP started with a bang.

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 were sharing the same hotel at the Domain and after a long wait I was able to get close to Lewis Hamilton who was preparing to leave for the Circuit.

Enroute to the Circuit :

I reached the Circuit and soon enough I was escorted downstairs for the Garage Tour with Scuderia Ferrari F1!

Shots from the Garage Tour :

I also got a few minutes with Mark Arnall, Kimi Raikkonen's Physical Instructor. Its always a pleasure speaking to him.

We made it back to the Paddock and it was time for the Saturday Free practice ( FP3 ). Teams would run Qualifying Simulations and prepare the cars for the Qualifying in the afternoon.

Shots from FP3 :

Scuderia Ferarri F1 during FP3 :

Kimi Raikkonen Pit Stop Practice in FP3 Video Link :

Lewis Hamilton was the fastest again in FP3 and the gap had increased to Eight Tenths of a second over team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen finished P5 and P9 respectively for Ferrari.

We were once again joined by Mattia Binotto ( COO - Power Unit ) who discussed about the technical changes in the power units this year and the challenges faced by Ferrari so far.

His Departure meant the arrival of THE ICEMAN KIMI RAIKKONEN! I was waiting for the moment to meet the Flying Finn and it happened again!!

Shots from Kimi Raikkonen's Interview :

Video Link to Kimi Raikkonen's Interview :

The End of the Interview came soon and Tom Clarkson, the Host announced my name to invite me onstage to get a quick photo with Kimi Raikkonen. Kimi was in a great mood and smiling ear to ear.

I gifted him the poem I had made for him and he was appreciative of my effort. It was a surreal moment!

The Poem :

Scuderia Ferrari were gracious to send me photos with him and here they are : MOMENTS WITH THE ICEMAN, THE FLYING FINN - KIMI RAIKKONEN!!

A Special Special Special Thank you to Mr. Larry DiBiase from Lambda Performance GmbH for ensuring that I get the opportunity that I waited for so long! I am so thankful for all the efforts he took. Thank you Sir!!

It was time for the Pit Lane Walk before Qualifying and the rush was enormous :

The Sun was out in full force and here are some shots from the Pit lane :

A moment with Claudio Bersini of Scuderia Ferrari F1 :

Shots from the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Garage :

The Boys from Sky Sports F1 busy in the build up to Qualifying :

I returned upstairs and had a quick lunch.

Tummy Full, Camera Charged it was time to head outside and enjoy Qualifying.

The Absence of Caterham F1 and Marussia F1 meant that only 18 cars would take to track. Q1 would see the ouster of 4 cars, Q2 likewise. Q3 would be the usual 10 minute shootout between the remaining 10 drivers.

The Team Pit Walls are all occupied before the action starts.

Shots from Q1 :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 during Q1 :

Kimi Raikkonen Returing to the Pits in Q1. Video Link :

Lewis Hamilton was quickest in Q1. Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen were P5 and P9 respectively for Ferrari.

Sebastien Vettel had switched to a 6th Power Unit and Red Bull decided not to put extra mileage on the unit. They let him do one flying lap but the German couldn't make the cut into Q2.

Vergne, Gutierrez, Vettel and Grosjean were eliminated.

A dejected Vergne returning to his garage :

Q2 started on schedule.

Shots from Q2 :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 in Q2 :

Nico Rosberg turned the tables and was fastest for the first time. Fernando Alonso was P6 and Kimi Raikkonen was P9 for Ferrari.

Maldonado, Perez, Hulkenberg and Kvyat were eliminated in Q2.

Q3 would be the final shootout. Shots from Q3 :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 in Q3 :

Nico Rosberg powered himself to another pole, being the fastest when it mattered against Lewis Hamilton. Lewis was P2 with Bottas P3. Alonso and Raikkonen could only manage P6 and P9 respectively for Ferrari. Raikkonen however moved up to P8 as Button qualified P7 but dropped 5 grid spots for a gearbox change. Kvyat qualified P14 but dropped 10 places for an engine change.

Vettel who qualified P17 started from the pit lane for the complete power unit change.

Parc fermé ready after Q3 :

Sky Sports F1 interviewing the Mercedes Pit Wall at the end of Q3 :

The Paddock abuzz after Qualifying :

Graeme Lowdon ( Marussia F1 President and Sporting Director ) in the Paddock and deep in conversation with a FIA Representative :

The Team Principals holding a meeting following the crisis in F1 in regards to Fund Distribution

A Happy Mr. and Mrs. Rosberg posing with Friends. Lewis Hamilton in conversation with friends from the UK :

Fernando and Kimi look the part..don't they?

Some amazing clicks of the First turn in the setting sun :

A Moment with the Race Winner's Trophy :

Returning to the Domain :

2014 has been a busy year and unlike last year I was able to attend only 2 races.

The German Grand Prix was a fantastic experience and I was really looking forward to go across the Atlantic and attend the 2nd race this year held at Austin Texas.

As always, this is the Day 1 Experience at the 2014 United States Grand Prix.

The Passes arrived a day earlier and everything was in place for the Weekend :

Enroute to the Circuit :

Welcome to the Ferrari F1 Club at the Circuit of the Americas

I hardly got time to settle in and the Friday Free Practice ( FP1 ) was already underway.

Shots from FP1 :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 during FP1 :

Lewis Hamilton dominated FP1 and was 3 tenths faster than his team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen were 6th and 12th respectively for Ferrari.

The Lull after Free Practice :

For the first time in my Paddock Club Experiences, I came across Breakfast Service being offered :

We were soon joined by Mattia Binotto ( COO - Power Unit ) who discussed about the technical changes in the power units this year and the challenges faced by Ferrari to match up to the Mercedes.

Video Link :

The Paddock abuzz with activity after FP1 :

The Menu for Lunch :

Time for a Power Lunch before the Pit Lane Walk :

The Sun was out in full force and it was a windy day too. It was an amazing day for racing in Austin and I must admit that this was one of the best pit lanes I have been in. Caterham F1 and Marussia F1 could not make it to the race and their garages were taken up by Pirelli who showcased all their tyres.

Shots from the Pit Lane Walk :

The Scuderia Ferrari F1 Pit Garage :

Some moments in the Garage :

A moment with the Ferrari Team Boys :

The Ferrari F14 T Firing Up before the start of FP2 :

Video Link :

Free Practice 2 was soon underway and the Teams would run through the qualifying simulation and more importantly the Race Simulations :

Shots from FP2 :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 during FP2 :

Lewis Hamilton was the Fastest again in FP2 but the gap to Nico Rosberg was down to only 3 thousandths of a second.

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen improved to P3 and P6 for Ferrari.

Post FP2, I was able to send some time with an amazing man who excels in artwork viz. oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings. He has a unique skill-set and has made some stunning art works, be it F1, Moto GP or Nascar!

Please do visit his page and be awed : www.kevinpaigeart.com

Kevin honoured Jules Bianchi with an art work of his car - a gesture that really moved me. The Mood was sombre after what had happened at the Japanese Grand Prix and the everyone from the F1 Fraternity rallied to offer Jules encouragement and support and prayers for a miraculous recovery!

TOUS AVEC JULES!!

Marc Gene ( Ferrari Reserve Driver ) joined us in the Lounge to discuss about the performance of the team on Friday and the expectations they had from the race.

The High Banking into turn 1.. it is quite a climb!

Some Shots of the Ferrari Formula 1 Club Lounge :

The Media interviews for drivers in the Paddock :

One of the support events for the weekend was the Ferrari V8 Series.

The 458s strutting their stuff on track :

It was time to head back to the hotel and the Track looked amazing in the setting sun!!

2014 United States Grand Prix, Round 17 of the 2014 F1 Season was held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

This was the 2nd race of the season that I attended after the 2014 German Grand Prix and I was once again honoured to be a guest of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team.

This is the newest addition to the Gallery of Memories Series... here goes.

I was in Downtown Austin to pick up my race passes from the team hotel and I met Giedo Van Der Garde ( Ex Caterham F1 Racing Driver and Sauber F1's Reserve Driver ). A Very Kind and Gracious man.

With the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team Personnel during the Pit Lane Walk :

I also met a great artist Kevin Paige. Kevin Paige is a maestro at creating original works of art, including oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings. He has a unique skill-set and has made some stunning art works, be it F1, Moto GP or Nascar!

Please do visit his page and be awed : www.kevinpaigeart.com

Kevin honoured Jules Bianchi with an art work of his car - a gesture that really moved me. The Mood was sombre after what had happened at the Japanese Grand Prix and the everyone from the F1 Fraternity rallied to offer Jules encouragement and support and prayers for a miraculous recovery!

TOUS AVEC JULES!!

Mark Arnall, Kimi Raikkonen's Physical Instructor. Its always a pleasure to meet him and he is the man that keeps the Iceman fit!

First I met the Physical Instructor of Kimi Raikkonen and then I met the Man Himself!! Scuderia Ferrari F1..Thank you sooo much for making my dream come true.

A Special Thank you to Mr. Larry DiBiase from Lambda Performance GmbH for all his efforts to ensure that everything happened smoothly!

Formula 1 returned to USA after a 5 year sabbatical. A new track was built in Austin, Texas and it promised state-of-the-art facilities and varying gradients on a very challenging track.

The first turn itself was a steep climb towering at 41 m, a recipe for incidents at the start of the race. This track would test the true prowess of the drivers.

However this race was pivotal for 3 reasons. The outcome of this Grand Prix would influence future ventures for Formula 1 in North America.

Red Bull Racing were on the brink of winning their 3rd consecutive Constructor's Title while Sebastien Vettel was on the verge of becoming a Triple World Champion. Ferrari had nothing too lose and it was clear that they would channelise all their efforts in ensuring that Alonso still has a shot at the title at the final race of the season in Brazil.

Let us see how the drama unfolded!

FREE PRACTICE :

Sebastian Vettel was the fastest driver in both FP1 and FP 2. He set a time 1.5 seconds faster than Lewis Hamilton in FP1, and 2 seconds faster than title rival Fernando Alonso. The session was run without incident, though drivers reported that there was very little grip around the circuit. Ma Qinghua was the only reserve driver to take part in the session, replacing Narain Karthikeyan at HRT. He finished the session in twenty-fourth and last position, 10 seconds behind Vettel.

Vettel was again fastest in the FP2. Mark Webber and Alonso completed the top 3. Vettel's running was limited by a water leak that forced him to spend half the session in the pits, while Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen suffered a puncture when he made contact with Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne.  Pastor Maldonado suffered an engine failure in his Williams late in the session.

Vettel topped the timesheets in FP3 too. Hamilton was 2nd Fastest. The hour-long session was marked by a collision between Sauber's Sergio Perez and the Marussia of Charles Pic that damaged the floor of Pic's car. Perez escaped without penalty. much to the annoyance of Marussia. Jean-Eric Vergne also ran into further trouble, breaking his front suspension when he hit a kerb and stopped on the circuit.

QUALIFYING :

There was very litte grip on the circuit in Q1. Every team sent their drivers out for extended runs  with the objective of laying down enough rubber on the circuit to improve their overall lap time, and trying to time their final flying runs to take full advantage of the circuit.

HRT were initially concerned that they would fail to qualify inside the 107% cut-off, however their decision to send Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan out on the softer option tyres, paid dividends as they made the cut. Karthikeyan's session ended early when he pulled over onto the tarmac run-off at Turn 2, the victim of a mechanical fault.

Caterham's Vitaly Petrov struggled early in the session with traffic, and spent most of the twenty minutes outside the 107% cut-off. His final flying lap saw him qualify 21st for the race, one place ahead of team-mate Heikki Kovalainen. Daniel Ricciardo was the seventh and final driver eliminated at the end of Q1.

Sebastian Vettel, who had recorded the fastest time in Q1, went on to beat his best time in Q2. The faster lap times now meant that the softer option compound was a necessity. Despite narrowly beating Ricciardo in Q1, Nico Rosberg was unable to improve his time in Q2, and qualified in 17th overall. The Saubers of Perez and Kobayashi filled out the 8th row of the grid. Jean-Eric Vergne overcame his free practice dramas to qualify 14th. Paul di Resta was disappointed to be eliminated in Q2 when team-mate Nico Hulkenberg comfortably progressed to Q3. Jenson Button had to settle for 12th overall when his McLaren MP4-27 lost all power late in the period, and he later admitted that he was afraid of getting caught up in what he called a "chaotic first lap". Bruno Senna was the last driver eliminated in Q2, qualifying in 11th place.

Sebastian Vettel took pole position with the fastest lap of the weekend. In spite of this, Lewis Hamilton was closer to Vettel than he had been all weekend, missing pole position by just one tenth of a second. Mark Webber qualified 3rd, ahead of Romain Grosjean, who was later demoted to 9th when he received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. Kimi Raikkonen , Michael Schumacher,  Felipe Massa, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Pastor Maldonado completed the top ten.

Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber were summoned to the stewards' office after qualifying. Schumacher had been cited for blocking Alonso during Q2. Schumacher escaped without punishment, as he had been on a flying lap of his own at the time, and blocking Alonso had not prevented him from advancing to Q3.

Webber, on the other hand, was called to answer charges of missing the mandatory weight check at the end of qualifying. The stewards accepted that Red Bull Racing had made an error and saw that the car was immediately sent to scrutineering once it was realised. Webber escaped with a reprimand, thereby allowing him to keep his grid position for the race.

However Ferrari would produce the greatest story of the day. The Team broke the seal of the gearbox of Massa's car causing him to accept a 5 place grid - penalty which would demote him from 7th to 12th and promoted Alonso from 8th to 7th. This allowed the Spaniard to start from the cleaner side of the track and help keep his title hopes alive.

Red Bull too could have countered this move in a similar fashion using Webber and send Alonso back to the dirtier side. However they chose otherwise. Sportsmanship lacking again in this decision by Ferrari.

RACE :

The Grip on the grid varied drastically between the Cleaner side and the Dirtier side of the Track.

The Five Lights went out and a lot happened going into the First Turn. The Prediction was right, starters on the Dirty Side suffered lack of Traction and lost places rapidly. Sebastian Vettel pulled cleanly away from P1. Mark Webber attacked Lewis Hamilton around the outside in the battle for 2nd. However it was a sensational start for Fernando Alonso who climbed from 7th to 4th in his Ferrari ! Lewis Hamilton lost out to Mark Webber for second, but managed to hold off Alonso.

Michael Schumacher, who started 5th had a terrible lap. First he lost out to Nico Hulkenberg and then to Kimi Raikkonen only to fight back and reclaim his place but in doing so, left the door open to Romain Grosjean who passed both in one move ( Lap 2 )

Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber were squabbling for 2nd place while Vettel pulled away from the pair. Hamilton's efforts finally paid dividends on Lap 4 as he passed Webber for 2nd.