Formula 1 is a world sport that combines drivers and teams from all over. Unfortunately for many fans in the US, the F1 spectacle has held off from visiting the states since the 2007 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This time, however, fans from all over are looking forward to the inaugural Formula 1 race at the Circuit of the Americas, located just outside of Austin, TX. This race comes just in time too, since we already have very interesting developments for the 2013 grid, and we also have completely new engine regulations for 2014.
The first OT with tons of information can be found here. After this weekend, we will continue posting in OT2.
For newcomers who want to see what all the fuss is about or for fans who always want more F1:
General Overview of Formula 1
Launching an F1 Car Properly
F1 Aerodynamics
F1 Pitstops
Setting up an F1 Car
The KERS System
Driving an F1 Car
Seating Position
Brakes
Gearboxes
The Steering Wheel
SPEED Broadcast Schedule (US Central/local time):
10/16
9:00AM Formula One Practice - Grand Prix of the United States
10:30AM The All-American Victory - Dan Gurney Wins the Belgian GP
11:00AM Mobil 1 The Grid - USGP Special
12:30PM Building the Circuit of the Americas - F1’s Return to the US
1:00PM Formula One Practice - Grand Prix of the United States
10/17
8:30AM Mobil 1 The Grid - USGP Special
9:00AM Formula One Practice - Grand Prix of the United States
12:00PM Formula One Qualifying - Grand Prix of the United States
10/18
12:30PM Formula One Racing - Grand Prix of the United States
BBC Broadcast Schedule (GMT):
10/17
21:00 BBC Two - Qualifying Highlights
10/18
22:25 BBC One - Race Highlights
Sky Broadcast Schedule Start Times (GMT):
10/16
15:00 Practice 1
19:00 Practice 2
10/17
15:00 Practice 3
18:00 Qualifying
10/18
19:00 Grand Prix
Designed by architect Hermann Tilke, the Circuit of the Americas is now the new home for Formula 1 in the US. The track combines many elements of popular circuits to create a 20-turn world class facility that will also host other forms of motor sport, including MotoGP and V8 Supercars. One prominent feature of the track is the 133 ft. rise to the top of turn 1 that is sure to deliver plenty of carnage during the opening lap. There is a lot of work to be done by the teams this weekend to familiarize themselves with the venue.
1978 Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti drives around the Circtuit of the Americas
Laps
56
Circuit length5.516 km (3.427 mi)
Race length308.896 km (191.939 mi)
Lap RecordN/A
Most Wins (Drivers)N/A
Most Wins (Constructors)N/A
GP Facts
-Made up of 11 left and nine right turns, the Circuit of the Americas is 5.516km (3.4 miles) long. It is one of just five current F1 circuits to run anti-clockwise, the others being Singapore, Korea, Abu Dhabi and Brazil. Curiously, all five circuits feature in the final seven-race stretch of the 2012 season.
-COTA’s track surface took four months to lay and the third and final layer was completed in late September. The final layer is made up of aggregate from all over Texas. All told, over 640,000 cubic metres of material have been used to construct the track.
-Race organisers are billing Turn One as the track’s signature corner. From the start/finish line the track rises 41m (133 feet) before heading into a tight and blind first-gear left-hand turn.
-Turns 2 and 3 pay tribute to the Senna ‘S’ at Brazil’s Interlagos, while turns 4-6 have been designed as an homage to the Maggots, Becketts, Chapel complex at Silverstone. Other recognisable elements include a section, from Turns 12-14, reminiscent of Hockenheim’s stadium section and the triple apex stretch through turns 16-18 has been modelled after Istanbul Park’s Turn 8.
-The first lap of the finished circuit was completed by legendary US racer Mario Andretti. In his 131-grand prix F1 career, Andretti raced in 11 US Grands Prix, seven races billed as the US GP West and both of the races held in Las Vegas, but recorded just one win on home soil. That was at the the USA West race at Long Beach in 1977 where, driving for Lotus, he finished ahead of Ferrari’s Niki Lauda and Wolf’s Jody Scheckter.
-Nine US circuits have previously hosted grands prix: Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Long Beach and most recently Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
-The last winner of a US Grand Prix was Lewis Hamilton in 2007. Racing for McLaren in his rookie season, Hamilton scored pole position at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the following day took his second career win. His first victory had come a week earlier at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
-That 2007 US GP at Indianapolis was also notable in that, as well as seeing a future world champion win in Hamilton, it handed a race debut to another future title winner, Sebastian Vettel. The German replaced the injured Robert Kubica at the wheel of a BMW Sauber. Aged just 19, Vettel qualified in seventh position and finished eighth, for which he earned one point. In so doing, he became F1’s youngest ever points scorer, a record he still holds.
-In recent times Michael Schumacher, due to retire for a second time after next week’s Brazilian GP, has been the most successful driver at the US GP. In the period from 2000-2007, when the race was staged at Indianapolis, Schumacher won five of the eight events (2000 and ’03-’06).
Compared to 2011, the 2012 season has been filled with surprising race finishes and results. The first seven races of the year had seven different winners until the eighth round in Valencia where Fernando Alonso became the first two time winner of the year. More multiple 2012 race winners popped up afterwards but it was Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton who looked set to duel to the finale in Brazil. The rivalry would be short lived.
Lewis Hamilton was leading the night race in Singapore and cruising to his second win in a row and fourth in the year when his car suffered an engine failure, handing the race lead to Sebastian Vettel. Vettel, in typical fashion, held onto that lead and did not let go. In fact, he continued that lead for the next three races, winning them all and building a hefty championship lead. Fernando Alonso, his nearest rival with a ten point deficit with two races to go, has a mountain to climb and needs the stars to align if he has any hopes of coming back and taking the crown this year.
Points for Drivers and Constructors Championships are awarded as follows:
1st. 25 Points
2nd. 18 Points
3rd. 15 Points
4th. 12 Points
5th. 10 Points
6th. 8 Points
7th. 6 Points
8th. 4 Points
9th. 2 Points
10th. 1 Point
Drivers Championship
Constructors Championship
NeoGAF Fantasy League Championship
~~
Thanks to SunhiLegend for the awesome .gifs, FIA.com for track information, and the Reddit F1 Community for the videos.
