2021 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

Afterexecuting a rare zero-stop strategy last time out, what are the team’s overallthoughts from Istanbul?

Whilewe scored one point with Esteban, we feel Turkey was a missed opportunity,especially with Fernando. Starting from fifth on the grid and having beencompetitive throughout the weekend – the closest we’ve been to the top teamsall season – we went into the race confident and hoping for a strong result,but the first lap incident completely ruined that. We need to keep qualifyingstrongly and hopefully next time we can convert our Saturday performances intobigger points on Sunday.

Whatfine margins will make the difference in the race for fifth?

It’sa tight fight for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship since the start ofthe season, and we have seen pretty big points swings at a few races. We had adecent points advantage going into Turkey, but we knew it was far fromcomfortable. It has now shrunk and we will need to keep scoring consistently atevery race and taking every opportunity for bigger points when it presentsitself, while keeping a close eye on our competitors. It will no doubt go tothe wire, but we have good momentum and are relishing the challenge!

Howexciting is it to go the United States again and racing at the Circuit of theAmericas?

It’sa popular venue in Formula 1, both for the track and the city. Sector onereplicates the Maggotts-Becketts combination at Silverstone, one that thedrivers particularly enjoy. However, a few sections of the track are verybumpy, as covered extensively during the recent Moto GP event, which can beuncomfortable for the drivers but also forces some setup compromises. Offtrack, Austin is a great city with its own very unique vibe. It’s one of thefavourite destinations on the calendar for many Formula 1 personnel.

Awesome Austin

Esteban Ocon turned headswith his masterful drive in Turkey to clinch the final point. Esteban is nowlooking forward to taking on Texas as he returns to the Circuit of the Americasfor the first time since 2018. His aim is to add more points to the seasontally.

Your race performance inTurkey caught some attention, how do you reflect on it?

I was quite happy to score a point inTurkey and it was probably one of the hardest points I’ve ever had to work forin my career! While scoring one point is goodand positive, we know we need to score even more in order to stay ahead in thechampionship. The aim is to continue working hard as a team and deliverstronger results.

How excited are you to goback to Austin?

I really like Austin and I can’t wait torace there. For me, I’ve not raced there since 2018, so I’m definitely excited.As a track, I feel like Austin is a cool mix of different circuits all rolledinto one. After the unique uphill Turn 1, the following flow of corners is kindof like Suzuka or Maggots-Becketts at Silverstone. Then there’s the longstraight before a slightly tighter part, which is like the final sector inMexico in a way. It’s a great track, there are some fast corners, someinteresting challenges at the wheel and also overtaking opportunities.

What do you like about the USGrand Prix?

As a venue, Austin is one of the best onthe calendar. I like the atmosphere there and I’m sure the American fans willmake it very special in the grandstands. I do like the American buzz and Ithink there are some cool activities lined up this weekend, which should befun. Of course, I enjoy food and having a Texas BBQ is a must while we’re outthere! All in all, I’m looking forward to getting going and hopefully we cantake home some points by Sunday night to make that post-race steak taste evensweeter.

Y’allmiss me?

FernandoAlonso heads back to the United States Grand Prix for his fourteenth appearanceon American soil in Formula 1. The Spaniard aims to return to the top ten inAustin after a challenging Turkish Grand Prix.

Howdo you reflect on the last race in Turkey?

Itwas an unlucky race for us after such a promising Saturday. We qualified in ourhighest position of the season and had a competitive package all weekend. So,to lose all of that in just 200 metres was disappointing. Perhaps we’re savingall of the good luck for 2022! We can take some positives away from the weekend,though, with the point for Esteban and how strong we looked on Saturday. Thecar has felt good in two consecutive races, so we’ll look to return to thepoints with a strong performance in Austin this weekend.

It’syour fourteenth race on US soil in Formula 1. Are you excited for Austin?

It’salways fun racing in the US and I do enjoy the circuit in Austin. It’s one ofthe more challenging circuits on the calendar with each sector of the lap verydifferent to the next. The characteristics of the track and the car can evolveduring a lap, so it keeps you on your toes as a driver. It’s also a track thatallows overtaking, which is good. You’re always guaranteed a good atmosphere inAustin and it’s a nice place to visit. Let’s see if our package can becompetitive there and hopefully it’ll be a dry weekend for a change!

Havingexperienced both oval and circuit racing in your career, how do the twoatmospheres compare?

Itis very different to jump from one style to the other and obviously you arealways competing with the best drivers of each championship. I enjoy bothcircuit and oval racing for different reasons. The atmosphere at races like theIndy 500 are quite unique and you can really feel the history of the race.There are a lot of fun things to do around the entire event. Formula 1 isacross a smaller weekend, but I think Austin is a really great place for thesport and we have Miami next year too. It’s two very different types of racingbut it’s great to see how F1’s popularity has grown in the US

Tyres:

Hard,C2 (White)

Esteban – 2

Fernando - 2

Medium,C3 (Yellow)

Esteban – 3

Fernando - 3

Soft,C4 (Red)

Esteban– 8

Fernando– 8

Esteban Ocon

Starts – 3

Points - 8

Average Points – 2.66

Fastest Qualifying – 1:34.145 (2018)

Fastest Lap – 1:39.992 (2018)

Best Finish – 6th (2017)

Best Grid Position – 6th (2017, 2018)

Fernando Alonso

Starts – 13 (6 atIndianapolis, 7 at Austin)

Points – 55

Average Points – 4.23

Fastest Qualifying – 1:35.007(Austin, 2017), 1:11.185(Indianapolis, 2004)

Fastest Lap – 1:39.672(Austin, 2012) 1:11.236 (Indianapolis, 2004)

Best Finish – 2nd(Indianapolis, 2007), 3rd (Austin, 2012)

Best Grid Position – 2nd(Indianapolis, 2007), 6th (Austin, 2013, 2014)

Renault-powered cars in the UnitedStates Grand Prix

Starts - 75

Wins - 1

Podiums - 11

Pole Positions - 2

Fastest Laps - 3

Total points - 27

Last team result in the United StatesGrand Prix

Ricciardo

Grid – 9th

Race – 6th

Hülkenberg

Grid – 11th

Race – 9th