After a break, the Formula 1 season is approaching its climax. This weekend, Max Verstappen and his fellow drivers will be on the starting grid for the 19th Grand Prix of the year in Austin. Read all about it in this article.
US Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix is a Formula 1 race that was first held in 1959. That edition took place at the Sebring International Raceway, a racing circuit in the state of Florida. Over the years, the circuit has changed several times, but the race was also discontinued on various occasions, most recently in 2007. Since 2012, it has been held at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin, in the state of Texas. The record holder for this Grand Prix is Lewis Hamilton with six wins, but since 2021, it has been Max Verstappen who has crossed the finish line first each time.
With six races remaining, the tension in the world championship standings is rising. At the Circuit of the Americas, where a sprint race is also scheduled, Verstappen will start with a 52-point lead over Lando Norris. The statistics also favor the Dutchman: Verstappen has won the last three editions of the Austin GP. Last season, he raced in the United States for the first time after securing his third world title a week earlier.
Favorites
As previously mentioned, Max Verstappen is once again a strong favorite to win this race. The Dutchman has won the most GPs this year, with seven victories in 18 races. Notably, all of those wins came earlier in the season, with his last victory being in June this year. He won the Spanish GP ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. Since then, he has finished second three times: in Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Singapore.
In those last two GPs, he finished behind Lando Norris. The young Brit started his season with two races without a podium, but has since frequently found himself on the podium. In Miami, the Netherlands, and Singapore, he even managed to win, finishing just below Verstappen with those results. With 180 points still up for grabs, Norris has a chance to claim the world title, but with the Dutchman as his main rival, it will certainly be challenging.
Norris’s team, McLaren, is also having a strong season: after a rocky start last season, where they struggled but later became a regular on the podium, they could potentially race for the world title this year. Certainly with Norris, but also with help from his teammate Oscar Piastri. He too has made it to the podium several times this year, including two victories. Compare this to the results of Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez: only four podium finishes and no wins. Thanks to these results, McLaren is also leading the constructors’ standings.
Between the two McLaren drivers is Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque secured victory in his ‘home’ race in Monte Carlo and also crossed the finish line first in Ferrari’s hometown, Monza. Leclerc has already stated that he feels good with the Italian car manufacturer and would like to win a world championship with this team. That will likely not happen this year, as Leclerc is nearly 100 points behind leader Verstappen.
His teammate Carlos Sainz rounds out the top five. He managed to reach the top podium spot only once, leaving him without a chance to compete for the world title. Incidentally, this is also Sainz’s last season with Ferrari, as from 2025, he will make way for Lewis Hamilton. Sainz has been with Ferrari since 2021, winning three GPs, and will drive for Williams next year.
Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion who will be taking his place in the iconic red car, no longer has a chance to win a world title this year. The Brit has only finished on the podium four times this season, but half of those were first-place finishes. Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes will be Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a young Italian who will begin his debut year. He made his official F1 debut at his home race in Monza.
Magic Betting Live
Want to make this GP in Austin even more exciting? Check out the Magic Betting App or visit the website www.magicbetting.be for the best online bets. Also, make sure to check out the various promotional offers. Take your chance and win!
