F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Mercedes' Lowe looking forward to another exciting USGP

Mercedes heads to the US Grand Prix still bathing in the glory of its Constructors' title but it'll be business as usual in Austin as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton resume their epic fight for the world championship.

The German outfit is undefeated in Austin in the past two seasons but given last year's wash-out, when torrential rain and limited prevailed throughout the entire race weekend, teams will have their work cut-out for them from the get-go to collect set-up data.

A state of affairs which obviously is not lost on Mercedes technical director, Paddy Lowe.

"Looking ahead to Austin, we’ll be hoping for some drier weather than last year – which won’t be difficult, given the torrential rain which simply didn’t stop until Sunday last time around!

"The weather conditions in 2015 have also had a knock-on effect in that we actually have very little up-to-date data from which to establish the performance of the car and the tyres at this circuit.

"Teams will therefore have to work on the basis of records from 2014, which is an unusual challenge heading into a race weekend."

Tyre management should be a rather straightforward affair according to Lowe, who believes that if the Circuit of the Americas statistics are anything to go by, then US race fans should witness another exciting race on Sunday.

"We have the Medium, Soft and SuperSoft tyre compounds available this weekend, which will likely produce some quicker lap times than those previously seen at this circuit.

"It’s a great track, with interesting elevation changes, tricky sequences of corners providing a good all-round test of power and cornering, with some prime overtaking opportunities too.

"In its short history to date, this track has always produced exciting races – not least last year, which saw multiple changes of the lead."

Hopefully, spectators will enjoy a trouble-free weekend, basking in the Texas sun. They certainly deserve it after last year's dreadful experience.

"There are plenty of enthusiastic fans who come from all across Northern and Central America, which is great to see.

"We know how dedicated they are, having seen them standing out in the rain last year waiting until the bitter end for the show to continue.

"We look forward to going back to Austin and putting on another great event in this very welcoming city."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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