Pirelli will offer its soft, supersoft and ultrasoft tyres tio competitors this weekend, the same selection that kicked of the 2018 season in Melbourne.

Austin's Circuit of the Americas has become a popular venue for F1, not only for its lively atmosphere but also for its unique layout which embodies pretty much the best of what every other track on the schedule has to offer.

"As was the case last year, we expect a few different strategies to be possible at Austin, but due to the frequently variable weather and wide range of track characteristics, this is always quite a hard race to predict," said Pirelli's Mario Isola in the tyre supplier's preview of the US GP.

"In recent years, the asphalt that made its debut in 2012 has stabilised, but it will be particularly important for the teams to get a comprehensive read on the latest conditions in free practice to prepare an optimal strategy.

"This isn’t always obvious in Austin, although there are several opportunities to overtake on track as well, as we saw last year. In 2018, this race is of particular importance to us, as Pirelli is the grand prix title sponsor.

"This underlines the significance of the United States to our company, with the very first P Zero World store being opened in Los Angeles two years ago."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Russell’s perfect antidote to Montreal misfortune

They say that when one door closes, a window opens – or in George Russell’s…

22 minutes ago

Lauda makes it four out of six in the Principality

On this day in 1976, Niki Lauda's charge to the world championship title continued unabated…

55 minutes ago

Bearman draws ‘sense of belief’ from Antonelli-Russell F1 title fight

The Formula 1 paddock has a habit of turning yesterday’s junior rivalries into today’s front-line…

2 hours ago

Sainz 'stops complaining', reluctantly accepts F1's new era

Carlos Sainz is waving the white flag in Formula 1’s ongoing rules debate, but not…

3 hours ago

Croft: Mercedes should ‘stay away’ from Russell-Antonelli battle

Mercedes is sitting on Formula 1’s most enviable problem – and Sky Sports F1 commentator…

4 hours ago

Mercedes facing ‘months of delay’ in Russell ERS failure investigation

George Russell's Canadian Grand Prix nightmare may have lasted only a few seconds, but Mercedes…

20 hours ago