F1 update – US Grand Prix

The latest round of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship took the teams and drivers to Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had to recover from a slow pitstop to clinch his record equaling 13th win of the year ahead of Mercedes Lewis Hamilton who finished second with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finishing third after starting 12th on the grid.

US GP top 5:

• 1st: Max Verstappen – Red Bull
• 2nd: Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
• 3rd: Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
• 4th: Sergio Perez – Red Bull
• 5th: George Russell – Mercedes

Other highlights:

• Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was early an casusalty on lap 1 after colliding with Mercedes George Russell, the latter was handed a 5 second time penalty for causing the collision.
• Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas would spin out of the race on lap 17 to bring out the safety car for the first time during the race.
• Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso collided on lap 22, with the former retiring from the race and then handed a 3 place grid penalty for the next race.
• Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel produced a fine drive in his final US Grand Prix leading for while, but would end up finishing 7th.
• Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly had a race to forget as he was given a 5 second time penalty for a safety car infringment, which would then become 10 seconds for failing to serve his 5 second penalty correctly.
• Alpine’s Fernando Alonso initially finished the race in 7th, but was handed a 30 second time penalty for technical infringement.
• Time penalties became hot topic in the race as Haas’s Mick Schumacher (track limits) and both Williams drivers Alex Albon (gaining advantage by leaving the track) and Nicholas Latifi (causing a collision) were handed 5 second time penalties for their troubles.

News:

• Sad news reached the US Grand Prix as co-founder of the Red Bull brand Dietrich Mateschitz passed away at the age of 78.
• Williams announced that Formula 2 driver Logan Sargeant will race for the team in 2023 providing he can obtain a super licence.
• From 2026 Audi will enter Formula 1 in partnership with Sauber.

The next round of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship will take the teams and drivers to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Circuit in Mexico City for the Mexican Grand Prix to be held on 28th – 30th October.

Aston and Cameron Perkins with the latest Formula 1 update.