USA F1 Grand Prix 2016: Key Battles, Race Predictions and Track Breakdown
Lewis Hamilton will be hoping for a big slice of luck at the United States Grand Prix this weekend as he looks to close the 33-point gap between himself and team-mate Nico Rosberg in the Formula One drivers' championship.
The British driver sealed his fourth U.S. Grand Prix win at this venue last year, overtaking Rosberg with just eight laps remaining. However, his fortunes have changed markedly since then, with no fewer than four separate engine problems holding Hamilton back this year.
Following a dramatic finale in last year's race, the German appeared furious with Hamilton after the 31-year-old tossed a second-place cap toward his team-mate. On Sunday, Rosberg has the perfect opportunity to exact revenge.
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Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel are separated by just five points outside the top three, and the results between these racers are likely to have a big impact on the constructors' championship.
Key Battles
Lewis Hamilton vs. Nico Rosberg
Hamilton just isn’t getting any luck this year. His engine difficulties include a devastating failure while leading in Malaysia earlier this month and a problem during qualifying for the Russian GP. However, it was a driving error that cost him dearly in the Japanese Grand Prix on Oct. 9.
Hamilton was down to eighth after a mistake on the first corner, and after a stirring comeback, he finished third on the podium. With just 100 points to play for, Nico Rosberg only needs to finish second in the four remaining races to secure the championship.
Victory for Hamilton would draw him level with Michael Schumacher’s record of five wins on this course and possibly put Hamilton back in contention for the title. This might seem unlikely given the points difference between them, but the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, is notoriously difficult to navigate. Only 12 cars finished the race last year, and Hamilton seems optimistic enough.
"You can't win them all. Look at the great champions who lost titles. It's part of the game,” said Hamilton, as per Andrew Benson for BBC. "I'm going to give it everything I've got, and everything is possible."
Kimi Raikkonen vs. Max Verstappen
Verstappen has enjoyed a late resurgence in this year’s championship after finishing second in each of the last two races. This has put the Dutchman level on points with Sebastian Vettel and just five behind Raikkonen in fourth.
What happens in Texas could have a big impact on the constructors' championship as both Ferrari and Red Bull battle for second place. Raikkonen’s Ferrari are currently 50 points behind Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Verstappen finished fourth in last year’s U.S. Grand Prix while Raikkonen retired. Raikkonen has not finished in the top three since the Austrian GP on Jul. 3, and this shaky form gives Verstappen the perfect opportunity to take the surprise step into fourth.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past 12 months. He could make a serious statement with a strong showing on Sunday.
The track
The Circuit of the Americas is a demanding track that mixes fast corners in Sector 1 with slow, technical corners in the final sector. The first corner is steep and blind, attracting a lot of attention from the crowd and providing the opportunity for some major position changes at the beginning of the race.
Here's a video of the track layout:
Rosberg lost traction at Turn 12 last year and handed Hamilton the win, and this could be the decisive corner once again as the race wears on.
The complexity of the Texan track has certainly made a Hamilton comeback possible, as Table19 was keen to point out:
But Rosberg seems likely to finish within the top three, putting the championship all but beyond the British driver.
Prediction: Hamilton to win and Rosberg to finish second.
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