AUSTIN, Texas — As many of you know, it is shaping up to be a historic sports weekend in Austin, with not only Saturday's Texas Longhorns' loss to Georgia, but also the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix, which will take place at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on Sunday.
The race weekend has an interesting schedule that is slightly different from the 2023 race, when Saturday was entirely dedicated to the Sprint, with Qualifying for it and the Sprint itself taking place on the same day. For this season, while there is only one free practice session like last year, the Sprint Qualifying was Friday instead of Saturday, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen taking pole before going on to take Saturday's sprint.
However, pole position for Sunday's race went to McLaren's championship contender Lando Norris.
"Lights Out and away we go!" is at 2 p.m. on Sunday, and we expect temperatures to be in the low-to-mid-80s throughout the course of proceedings at COTA.
With the slight increase of temperatures, there is a possibility of tire degredation worsening through the race as asphalt temperatures usually increase at a higher rate than air temperatures, and thus expect more teams to start on the hard compound tires.
Additionally, winds out of the east could cause issues with rear grip as a result of the crosswind, especially as the cars move through the esses, and the last few corners before the start/finish line. However, expect higher speeds in the Drag Reduction System (DRS) zone and speed trap in the long straight after Turn 11 – known as the "Bobby Pin" – as a result of the tailwind from those easterlies.
Stick with KVUE as we continue to get you pumped up for the incredible weekend at COTA!
Here's your seven-day forecast:
