US GP 2021: Race speed, tire strategies, weather, TV – Formula 1

Difference between compounds and longer periods (Pirelli data)

56 best strategies US Grand Prix laps (Pirelli data)

With the high temperatures and high abrasiveness of the asphalt at the Circuit of the Americas, a two-stop strategy appears to be the perfect option, especially since conditions similar to what we saw on Friday and Saturday are expected in the race. Obviously, the exact strategy each driver will choose will also depend on what tires are still available, but the fastest strategy on paper for handling 56 laps of a Grand Prix involves one job with Soft or Medium and two with Hard. It seems that these two options are very close.

Managing soft tire wear and deterioration will be critical, so those who want to try a single-stop strategy will only be able to do so with Medium and Hard, even if bottoming isn’t easy. As expected at this point in the season, there are some riders who start out of position due to the penalties for the engine change: they might be tempted to mount the hard tire at first and take a long first job to get positions on the track. However, COTA is a circuit with many overtaking opportunities and reasonably lost time in the hole lane, so the advantage of a one-stop strategy may be a little less than usual.

“The medium frame was favored by almost all Q3 qualifiers (except for Sainz and Tsunoda, editor) From the start, this compound allows for greater flexibility in terms of strategy – comment Mario IsolaAuto racing director Pirelli – Managing Softs to avoid overheating, especially in the rear, is essential in these hot conditions, and that makes the Medium and Hard the main options for racing. A two-stop strategy is most likely, as higher speeds and abrasive surfaces greatly affect long-term tire performance. At the same time, the relatively low time of missed stops and the number of overtaking opportunities mitigate the benefits of the one-stop strategy. There are a number of different and somewhat similar stopping strategies, depending on the race conditions, so it looks like this will be an intense strategic battle.“.

Race forecast (14:00 local time)
2m: mostly clear, 28°C, winds 14 km/h SW, 1% chance of rain
3 PM: mostly clear, 29°C, wind 14 km/h SW, 1% chance of rain

TV programming in Italy
Diretta Sky Sport F1: 19:25 Paddock Live, 20:55 GP Ungheria, 21:55 Paddock Live
Delayed TV8: 21:25 before the race, 22:55 Hungarian Grand Prix, 00:55 after the race