This weekend, Formula 1 arrives at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas for a showdown between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, now that McLaren have wrapped up the 2025 Formula 1 Constructors' World Championship title.
Circuit of the Americas is a Formula 1 track that has intrigued me over the years. It produces great overtaking, especially considering the tightness of Turn 1, which sits at the top of the hill after the main straight. Then there’s the long back straight, which provides another opportunity for overtaking both before and at the end of that section, so we could see some impressive action.
I imagine temperatures this weekend will be fairly high, which will not suit Mercedes at all. They prefer cooler conditions to get the best out of their car. I think McLaren will be back on form because this is a circuit with plenty of high-speed corners and only a handful of slow ones, a layout that has also recently suited the upgraded Red Bull.
As for the 2025 F1 world championship battle, it remains a three-way fight between Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Some people have been saying this week that McLaren are favouring Lando in the Title run-in.
We’ve already seen Oscar's nose put out of joint, especially in Singapore where Norris barged past him on the opening lap. I would expect that Piastri now views the whole McLaren team order situation as null and void.
Expect a far more aggressive Oscar in Austin
Going into Turn 1 at the United States Grand Prix this weekend, he’s going to do exactly what he wants. If that means getting his elbows out and brushing up against Verstappen or his teammate Norris, I don’t think he’ll hesitate.
He’ll be more aggressive as he battles for the lead into Turn 1, and I can see the McLarens being P1 and P2 again this weekend. Which order it ends up is really a toss-up, as they keep raising the bar weekend to weekend.
Red Bull’s recent resurgence has come from a couple of upgrades, including a new front wing in Singapore. But will they be dominant at this track? I don’t think so. It’s a more traditional racing circuit, not a street layout, and I think McLaren are going to be stronger and more dominant this weekend than they’ve been over the past few races.
One of my favourite things about the American race is the razzmatazz that comes with it. You’ve got cheerleaders, you’ve got cowboys turning up, remember Daniel Ricciardo a couple of years ago arriving on a horse? Just fantastic. The entertainment value the American races deliver is always superb, and I expect it to be the same again this weekend.
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