Austin Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

There's a reason the Circuit of the Americas has more fast corners than Spa and more slow corners than the Hungaroring.

Austin's track was designed with several iconic corners from European circuits in mind. But overall, the track’s layout compels most teams to run their car in a maximum downforce configuration.

COTA's speed trap is located at the end of the long straight between Turns 11 and 12, which is also a DRS section. But velocity on the run up the hill on the main straight is also important as the entry to Turn 1 is a main overtaking spot.

Max Verstappen missed out on pole on Friday due to a track limit infringement that to the deletion of his final flyer, a lap that was 0.005s faster than poleman Charles Leclerc’s best effort.

With a maximum velocity difference between the two drivers of 3kph in favour of Leclerc, Verstappen – running a higher load level on his Red Bull – gained an edge in the undulating parts of the track.

Incidentally, Haas’ upgraded VF-23 was the fastest car in a straight line at COTA, but that was a meager consolation for the US outfit which was far from able to put either of its drivers among the top ten in qualifying.

In summary, with a less loaded rear wing than its rivals, Ferrari’s SF-23 is displaying excellent top speed this weekend.

• Read also: Mercedes closer, but Red Bull pace 'undeniable' - Hamilton

Mercedes’ maximum velocity is inferior, but the Brackley squad’s W14 is holding up nicely thanks to its excellent cornering ability, while McLaren’s MCL60 is a compromise between the two. (Thanks to @FDataAnalysis on X for the analysis).

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, while Verstappen is expected to quickly carve his way to the front, a tight battle for the runner-up spot is anticipated between Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren, with Sergio Perez also hopefully in the mix.

Tyre wear – especially in the Ferrari camp – rather than absolute pace will likely dictate the outcome of the battle for second, with a two-stop strategy the expected choice in Austin.

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