United States Grand Prix Photo by: Marcel Heil on Unsplash

United States Grand Prix 2022 Preview

We’re off to America again for the United States GP in 2022. The Miami race earlier in the year was a giant success, and now we’ve got Austin, Texas, to host the next instalment of the F1 schedule.

They say everything is bigger in Texas, so who will have the biggest win of the year? We’ll discuss this below, but first let’s recap what occurred in the Japanese Formula One race.

Although the rain poured down in Japan to slightly ruin the race, it was all sunshine for Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Not only did the Flying Dutchman win his 12th race of the year, but he also secured his second F1 World Championship with several races left on the calendar.

Congrats to Verstappen who truly deserved this enormous accomplishment, and we’re sure that it’s not his last Formula One title by a long shot. It wasn’t such a surprise like last season, when Verstappen really won the championship in the last race, as it was only a matter of when, not if, he’d pick up the title as he’s so far ahead in the points.

Red Bull picked up a one-two with Perez arriving second, although it was a strange way to grab the number two spot. Technically, Leclerc of Ferrari finished the race in second and Perez in third, but Leclerc was given a time penalty after it was discovered he left the track for a few seconds to gain an advantage. Thus, this penalty pushed him down into third place.

Elsewhere, Ocon at Alpine shocked everyone with fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton in fifth. It was also pleasing to see Vettel in Aston Martin salvage sixth place even after spinning at the start of the race.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz smashed into the barrier on the opening lap and was out of the race just moments after he started.

Venue, time, & where to watch the F1 United States Grand Prix

The United States GP in 2022 will take place at the Circuit of The Americas, Austin, on Sunday 23rd October. UK viewers can watch the race at a very decent time of 20:00 on Sky Sports F1, but the full racing schedule is below.

© TVsportguide.com – Motorsport on TV

The Circuit of The Americas is made up of 56 laps over a track length of 5.513km. The lap record is 1:36.169 and is held by Charles Leclerc in 2019.

The COTA track is fairly new by other track standards, having only opened in 2012 and immediately having the first official F1 race take place there in the same year. It was this contest which fans saw Hamilton claim his last win for team McLaren before switching to Mercedes in 2013.

COTA is always an enjoyable track to watch the United States GP, as it has everything from long straights to S-bends to uphill runs into very wide corners that are perfect for overtaking. Plus, the vibes are fantastic in Austin and there’s always a real party atmosphere in the stands.

Major F1 talking points

Take a look at some of the hottest discussions before the F1 United States Grand Prix begins.

Ferrari’s Leclerc vs. Red Bull’s Perez

It’s a shame that we’ve got no more real drama for the title now that Verstappen has it wrapped up. However, there’s still the Constructor’s Championship to be decided, which is something that Red Bull cares deeply about because the team hasn’t won since 2013!

It would be a real shock to the system if Red Bull doesn’t come away with the CC as well, as the team is 165 points ahead of Ferrari, but stranger things have happened in F1.

Furthermore, the battle for second place is still ongoing, as a hair basically separates Leclerc and Perez. While finishing second is no driver’s idea of a good time, it’s still a great reward to take into the following season. The motivation to move up one place is well worth it.

There are only four more races (including Austin) left in the F1 schedule for 2022, so every point counts now. Of course, Verstappen likely isn’t about chilling and letting his rivals cruise to the finish line before him. So if Leclerc or Perez want to gain more points by taking the chequered flag, then they’ll have to earn them.

There was a time earlier in this season when it looked like a fantastic battle was shaping up between Leclerc and Verstappen, but car failures from Ferrari and poor decisions by Leclerc just let Red Bull get away with things.

Look out for the American F1 driver

It was back in 2015 when Alexander Rossi raced for Marussia that we saw a US driver on an F1 track. But watch out for 21-year-old Logan Sargeant (that name doesn’t get more American, right?).

Sargeant is going to make his Formula One debut for Williams, but he’s already impressed the racing world with his F2 resume and it’s not impossible that we’ll see him with a permanent spot with the team in the future.

Formula One is growing evermore in America, so it would be nothing short of amazing to have an American in F1 to continue spreading the sport across the country.

More than 400,000 people attended the COTA race last year, and that figure will likely rise even more especially with Sargeant on the grid. US fans are loving F1, but the drivers also enjoy the warmth and support they receive when in Austin. The COTA track provides exhilarating moments and it’s bound to have a perpetual slot in the F1 calendar.

Driver standings

This is how the top 10 looks in the driver standings right now.

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 366 points

2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 253 points

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 252 points

4. George Russell (Mercedes) 207 points

5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 202 points

6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 180 points

7. Lando Norris (McLaren) 101 points

8. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) 78 points

9. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) 65 points

10. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) 46 points

Predicted outcome for the United States Grand Prix in 2022

Mercedes has assured everyone that they’ll unleash the last of their car updates at the United States GP in 2022. It’s been a long, bumpy road for Mercedes this year as they struggled to adapt to new car rules. Hamilton and Russell have been decent, but decent doesn’t win you championships.

Charles Leclerc has also implored Ferrari to work on the car to be more competitive. We think they’ll be aggressive in Austin and the last three races, but it still looks like a contest made for Red Bull’s pace.

Perez has a shot to win and is likely to be motivated to pick up more points to secure second place in the standings, but as of now, there’s no reason to doubt Verstappen. The championship jitters are gone and he can race with much more freedom and joy than ever.

The weather is forecasted to be sunny and beautiful (very unlike the Japan race), so all the drivers have to focus on is the track and not raindrops or overwhelming humidity like Singapore.

Verstappen won the 2021 race at COTA and we think he’s the one to do it again this year.