AUSTIN, Texas — As it has at this time every year since 2012, Formula 1 (F1) has made its pilgrimage to Austin's famed Circuit of the Americas for the United States Grand Prix (USGP).
With that, in the absence of rain chances, variable weather conditions – whether it be Friday and Saturday's near-record heat or Sunday's added cloud cover and stronger winds – could have an impact on race strategy.
It's important to note the tire compounds that are available to teams during the race weekend.
According to F1's official website, there are three different tire compounds that will be used. Those are the C2 "hard" compound, the C3 "medium" compound and the C4 "soft" compound.
A common characteristic of these compounds is that the softer compounds tend to have better grip than the harder compounds, although the harder compounds typically last longer.
However, there is a slight wrinkle when it comes to tire allotment as opposed to the 2022 race.
In the 2022 USGP, teams received three sets of the "medium" compound and eight sets of the "soft" compound tires. In the 2023 race, teams will receive an additional "medium" tire and only six sets of the "soft" compound, compared to the eight.
This is because Saturday will be entirely dedicated to the sprint – the first such race at Circuit of the Americas – with the sprint qualifying, known as the "Sprint Shootout," and the actual sprint race later in the afternoon.
As a result, there will be only one hour-long practice session on Friday, with the qualifying for Sunday's race taking place Friday afternoon, leaving teams with only one hour to learn how their cars respond to the track.
As for the track, it will be quite toasty throughout the weekend, especially on Friday and Saturday. This is because the record heat could cause track temperatures to reach 145 degrees, which could increase tire degradation.
Thus, look for teams to rely on the softs during qualifying and mediums during the USGP and sprint races.
Additionally, Sunday's race could have impacts from stronger winds coming in from the southeast. The southeasterly flow will cause a crosswind through much of Sector 2 – which includes a long straight after Turn 11 – and portions of Sector 3, which could negatively affect rear grip, as many drivers complained about in 2022.
All in all, expect an exciting weekend on track at Circuit of the Americas as the USGP takes place, even with the Drivers' and Constructors' championship titles already clinched.
Stick with KVUE for the latest as we ramp up for a big race weekend.
