United States Grand Prix: What is the F1 weather forecast this weekend?

F1 will return stateside for the final time this year ahead of the 2022 F1 United States GP. While the Drivers' World Championship has already been decided in Max Verstappen's favor, there is still plenty to play for at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Red Bull will be eyeing up the chance to seal the Constructors' World Championship in Austin this weekend. Christian Horner and Co. will come into this race weekend with a 165-point lead over second-placed Ferrari. Another favorable result for the team from Milton Keynes could see them bag their first Constructor crown since 2013.

Max Verstappen is also on the cusp of equalling the record for most wins in a single F1 season. The Dutchman did win this race last year so he knows what it takes to come out on top in Austin.

Ferrari are still mathematically in the hunt for a world championship but that flame could soon be extinguished. Mattia Binotto and Co. will in all probability focus on trying to consolidate second place in the standings.

Charles Leclerc will be hoping to try and get his first win since Austria and use the last four races as a springboard for 2023. He is also locked in a heated battle with red Bull's Sergio Perez for P2 in the Drivers' standings. The pair are only separated by a point as things stand.

Mercedes' quest for a win this season continues but it seems unlikely that they will break this duck at COTA. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have fallen off the pace in the last two races in Singapore and Japan. To put things into perspective, Aston Martin outscored the Silver Arrows throughout the last two race weekends.

The battle for fourth place in the standings between Alpine and McLaren is probably the most exciting one concerning teams. The team from Enstone currently holds a 13-point lead over Zak Brown and his charges and this fight to be the best of the rest could go right down to the wire.

F1 had massive fanfare last time around in Austin and that is expected to grow this year with one eye on three races in the USA tabled for 2023.

While all teams and fans will be eager with anticipation to get going, one must also be prepared for the elements, which have dictated proceedings in the last two rounds of the season to great effect.

So, what sort of weather can we expect at the 2022 F1 United States GP?

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Weather forecast for the 2022 F1 United States Grand Prix weekend (October 21- October 23)

Here is some information regarding the weather forecast in Austin, Texas for the upcoming 2022 F1 United States Grand Prix weekend, according to accuweather.com.

Friday, October 21 – FP1 and FP2 weather

Conditions: Plenty of sunshine; a moderate UV index of 5 and SSW winds blowing at 13km/h, with wind gusts at 25km/h, no probability of rain or a thunderstorm.

Maximum temperature expected: 31°C | 87.8°F

Minimum temperature expected: 17°C | 62.6°F

Chance of rain: 0%

Saturday, October 22 – FP3 and Qualifying weather

Conditions: Mostly sunny and very warm; a moderate UV index of 5 and S winds blowing at 15 km/h, with wind gusts at 35km/h and no probability of a thunderstorm.

Maximum temperature expected: 31°C | 87.8°F

Minimum temperature expected: 19°C | 66.2°F

Chance of rain: 2%

Sunday, October 23 – Main Race weather

Conditions: Very warm and humid with intervals of clouds and sun; a moderate UV index of 5 and S winds blowing at 17km/h, with wind gusts at 50km/h, and no probability of a thunderstorm.

Maximum temperature expected: 20°C | 68°F

Minimum temperature expected: 16°C | 60.8°F

Chance of rain: 3%

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Pirelli to test prototype tire compounds for next year during 2022 F1 United States GP weekend

Pirelli has confirmed the tire compounds that will be provided to all teams for this weekend's 2022 F1 United States GP.

The Italian tire manufacturer will be bringing the C2 compound as the white-walled hard tire, the C3 will be the yellow-walled medium tire, and the C4 compound will be the red-walled soft tire for the race.

In his pre-race de-brief, Pirelli Motorsport boss Mario Isola observed that the Circuit of the Americas is a flowing and challenging track that could force all teams to raise their ride height and subsequently affect the aerodynamics of the car. He wrote:

“The Circuit of The Americas is a balanced layout when it comes to the demands placed on cars and tyres in terms of traction, braking, and lateral loads, but it’s mainly a flowing track that the drivers love, which nonetheless presents some challenging sections that shouldn’t be underestimated. The track was partially re-asphalted in 2020, with a ‘milling’ process also taking place last year to shave off the worst of the bumps that oblige teams to raise the ride height, which affects aerodynamics.”

The Italian also confirmed that Pirelli will be testing the prototype tires that will be used in the forthcoming 2023 F1 season this weekend. This test was originally planned for the 2022 F1 Japanese GP weekend but was scuppered by the torrential rain we saw during FP1 and FP2 in Suzuka. Isola added:

“In the first free practice session, there could be a high degree of track evolution so it’s going to be vital for the teams to maximise the data collected during FP3 to define the best strategy. The second free practice session will be dedicated to slick tyre testing for 2023, weather permitting. Weather conditions in Austin have been extremely variable in the past, so it’s a circuit where you have to be ready for anything!”

Meanwhile, viewers in the US can tune into ESPN and ESPN Deportes to watch all the action live from the race weekend. UK viewers can catch the proceedings on Sky Sports, while Indian viewers can do the same on Star Sports Select, Star Sports Select HD 2, and Disney+ Hotstar.