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The 2023 F1 US Grand Prix marks the return of the beautiful track at COTA. The track first became a part of the sport in 2012 and since then it has enjoyed an integral presence on the calendar.
The track's popularity has grown as well with close to half a million fans in attendance last year. It has seen quite a few interesting championship battles as well.
We saw an intense battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in 2021 when the title was on the line as well. There was an interesting battle last season as well when Verstappen overcame a bad pit stop to beat Hamilton again.
What can we expect from the 2023 F1 US Grand Prix? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 US Grand Prix: Preview
Key Storylines
#1 FIA's review of Lewis Hamilton track crossing incident
FIA launching a review was faced with some adverse reactions owing to the language used in the press release. Could an offense like the one in Qatar be looked at and reviewed? Sure it could. But doing that because of Lewis Hamilton's 'role model' status is FIA shooting itself in the foot for no reason.
We've already seen a noticeable backlash and we'll see a lot more of it until FIA clears the mess. Coming into the 2023 F1 US Grand Prix, this is surely going to be one of the talking points.
#2 Sergio Perez and the battle for survival
Whether we believe the reports of Sergio Perez being given an ultimatum or not, it's hard to deny that the race in Qatar was another stinker from the Mexican. His advantage over Lewis Hamilton in P3 in the championship would have taken a serious dent if the Mercedes driver himself didn't have the accident.
Perez's performances are not up to the mark. There's no two ways about that one. There's also clearly a spotlight on Daniel Ricciardo as he makes his return at the 2023 F1 US Grand Prix. If the Australian has five good races there is a high likelihood of him being a Red Bull driver next season.
Perez needs to turn things around at Red Bull and the clock is ticking.
#3 The major Haas upgrade
There's an intriguing development at the back of the field at the 2023 F1 US Grand Prix as Haas unveils its upgrade package. The package is supposed to change the car concept and bring it more towards Red Bull.
Earlier in the season, we saw something similar executed by McLaren and it transformed the team from being a backmarker to a constant podium threat.
It would be a major leap of faith if we expect Haas to do something similar but everyone is surely keeping an eye on what changes we could see in terms of performance.
Form guide
In form
Oscar Piastri's performances caught the eye of a lot of people in Qatar. Surely but steadily that gap enjoyed by Lando Norris has been extinguished by the Australian.
The competition between the two is going to be fierce in the coming races and this weekend might be the first one where he sees how Norris responds to Piastri's challenge.
Out of form
Lance Stroll hasn't scored a point since the summer break and if we look at the points standings both the Alpine drivers are snapping at his heels right now.
Not only that, the rumors of a possible Saudi-owned takeover of Aston Martin and Stroll's furious reaction in Qatar after qualifying are signs of increased frustrations.
The Canadian needs a strong 2023 F1 US Grand Prix to gain some momentum in a downtrodden season.
2023 F1 US Grand Prix: Predictions
Who will win the race?
Even though McLaren seems to have closed the gap on Red Bull, Max Verstappen is still that one barrier that is tough to overcome.
At the 2023 F1 US Grand Prix, we're going with the Dutch driver to pick up his record-equalling 15th win of the season.
The surprise of the weekend (Team)
The key difference between the track in Qatar and the one in Austin is the slow-speed sections in Sector 3. McLaren is going to struggle in that particular sector while cars like Mercedes and Ferrari could take advantage.
We're backing Mercedes to come good and challenge for the podium this weekend.
The surprise of the weekend (Driver)
The beautiful thing about Lewis Hamilton throughout his illustrious career has been his innate ability to bounce back stronger than ever after a bad weekend.
The weekend in Qatar was a particularly bad one for the driver and he will be looking to bounce back. The track at Austin has been one of his favorites and he might pull off one of his special drives here.
Disappointment of the weekend (Team)
Aston Martin might struggle a bit at the 2023 F1 US Grand Prix. The track layout is more universal in nature as it encapsulates almost every facet of racing from long straights, to fast-speed sections to the slow-speed parts as well.
The car has tended to be a bit peaky this season and if that trajectory continues, Fernando Alonso might not have a strong one this weekend.
Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)
Sergio Perez needs a strong 2023 F1 US Grand Prix. Plain and simple! He needs a race where he qualifies well and is not more than half a second behind Max Verstappen. He needs a weekend where he is securing a podium finish, preferably a P2 behind Max.
Unfortunately, looking at the manner in which other teams have closed the gap on Red Bull, this might not be possible. We're looking at another race where speculation will gain momentum around the future of Sergio Perez at Red Bull.
