US Grand Prix Preview, Betting Tips and Odds

We’re gearing up to head down the home straight as we near the end of a thrilling Formula One World Championship. Lewis Hamilton has been the driver to beat – taking yet another win in Japan – but will his Mercedes hold out long enough to see him over the line? Sebastien Vettel on the other hand has enjoyed a nightmare year with Ferrari but can we expect any shocks around the corner? Mark Scott of Planet F1 and Johnny Herbert are here to preview this one as the World Championship goes Stateside.

Bet on the US Grand Prix

Vettel’s bid loses its spark

It does not seem to matter where Ferrari turn up any more; trouble always finds them. In Japan, the drama came on Vettel’s way to the grid with mechanics working frantically to fix a spark plug problem. Lights out mere minutes away.

All looked under control again once the five reds disappeared as pole-sitter Hamilton was forced to cover off the fast-starting Vettel, who joined him on the front row.

However, the German’s afternoon, and season, quickly unravelled when Max Verstappen’s lunge down the inside of the hairpin initiated the slippery slope downwards.

Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas all breezed past a helpless Vettel, who was told on team radio to retire the car just four laps into the race. The spark plug had got the better of them.

He joined Carlos Sainz back in the garage, another early retiree in what was his last race for Toro Rosso before he joins Renault, who had finally struck a deal with the doomed Jolyon Palmer to leave his seat before the end of the season.

Back out in front, it was a familiar sight of late with Hamilton and Verstappen vying for the lead but, unlike Malaysia, the Brit began to hurtle away from the flying Dutchman and a trademark dominant victory looked on the cards.

Five seconds separated the duo as they made their one and only pit stops, but the soft tyres simply refused to come to life for Hamilton in the Mercedes. Two Virtual Safety Car periods did not help Hamilton’s cause, the second – caused by Lance Stroll’s broken front suspension – acted as the catalyst for a thrilling finish with Verstappen becoming an increasingly large figure in his mirrors.

But, it was traffic in the form of Fernando Alonso that ensured Verstappen would not get a chance to launch one, final attack on Hamilton.

The Spaniard, locked in his own battle for P10 with Felipe Massa, let Hamilton through once the blue flag waved, but cut back across Verstappen’s path and held him up. Alonso was subsequently reprimanded and given two penalty points by the stewards for failing to ignore the blue flags.

That left Hamilton to take the chequered flag and a huge step toward the World Championship title, with Verstappen settling for second and Daniel Ricciardo claiming a first career podium in Japan.

Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen, both hindered by five-place grid penalties for fitting new gearboxes, came home in P4 and P5 respectively, while Force India duo Ocon and Sergio Perez followed next after being denied the right to fight for position over team radio due to their previous accidents.

There was also a double-points finish for Haas and their drivers Kevin Magnussen (P8) and Romain Grosjean (P9); Massa held on for the final point in P10.

It was a day to forget for Nico Hulkenberg and Renault, meanwhile, who had to retire late due to a DRS wing refusing to close; axed team-mate Palmer came a low-key P12 with Alonso finishing just ahead.

Toro Rosso new boy Pierre Gasly led home the other couple of finishers: Stoffel Vandoorne and Pascal Wehrlein. Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson was the other retirement after crashing out at Degner 2.

What to expect in Texas

The last place Ferrari want to be going given all their recent troubles is to the backyard of Hamilton and Mercedes, who have made the Circuit of The Americas a second home over the last few years.

All that is left for Vettel to do is to take some almighty risks, but he cannot even do that because he was also reprimanded by the stewards after the race in Japan. Vettel was late for the start of the national anthem due to the issues with his car and that is a big no-no in the stewards’ book.

He was also reprimanded at the Monaco Grand Prix earlier in the season after he crossed the pit lane exit line, meaning one more driving offence will result in a 10-place grid penalty.

But, in general, Ferrari have shown that they simply cannot be trusted to run reliably all weekend, while Red Bull are continuing to go from strength to strength after yet another double podium finish.

It is hard to overlook Hamilton given his record at Austin and his form since the summer break, but be wary of the fact that he does not need to take unnecessary risks to win because of the handsome lead he currently boasts.

That being said, if Hamilton does win the race and Vettel is lower than P5, then we have our new World Champion.

Circuit of The Americas

The track in Austin, Texas is a new kid on the block when compared to most of the other venues on the 2017 calendar. After only making its debut in 2012, though, there has already been some memorable races placed in the history books.

Brakes and tyre degradation will really be tested here as there are a whopping 20 corners to negotiate, with plenty of elevation change along the way.

Whilst a vast majority of the track has been inspired from other circuits across the globe, Turn 1 is very much a unique centrepiece to the Circuit of The Americas.

The drivers are thrown straight in at the deep end with an ultra-steep opening corner that only comes into full view at the crest of the hill.

After dropping back down via a relatively simple right-hander, the way is paved for a very challenging section – inspired by the Senna esses in Brazil – from Turn 3 to Turn 9 which will prompt an incredibly rapid change in direction as the cars weave from right to left continuously throughout.

Get a good rhythm through here and the Turn 11 hairpin that follows after another downhill dash will mark the start of an excellent overtaking opportunity through the first DRS zone.

The German icon racked up all his successes when Indianapolis hosted the event from 2000 to 2007, four of which came in consecutive years. Schumacher’s victory in 2006 means Ferrari are still the most successful constructor in America with nine wins in total, just one ahead of Lotus and McLaren. There is then a big gap for Mercedes to bridge, who are third on the list with three wins – but all of those, of course, have come in the last three years.

Previous winners and track suitability

Hamilton has been incredibly dominant in the United States, even before the three-year hiatus from 2008 to 2011. The Brit has won four of the last five races in America, including the last three in Austin.

He will have fond memories of all three of his most recent victories. In 2014, he secured his fifth consecutive win for the first time in his F1 career and broke Nigel Mansell’s 20-year record for the most F1 wins by a British driver.

Then, a year later, Austin would be the place that Hamilton was crowned world champion for a third time. Last year, Hamilton took the opportunity to join Michael Schumacher at the top of the all-time winners’ list with five career victories in the USA. The German icon racked up all his successes when Indianapolis hosted the event from 2000 to 2007, four of which came in consecutive years.

Schumacher’s victory in 2006 means Ferrari are still the most successful constructor in America with nine wins in total, just one ahead of Lotus and McLaren. There is then a big gap for Mercedes to bridge, who are third on the list with three wins – but all of those, of course, have come in the last three years.

The only other current driver on the grid to taste victory in the United States is Vettel. In happier times with Red Bull in 2013, the four-time world champion set a new record for most consecutive wins within a single season after an incredible eighth straight success. A record he would then extend himself with the season finale in Brazil.