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The 2023 F1 US GP sprint saw Max Verstappen put another win on his mantle as he cruised to victory from pole position. It was almost formation running behind him as well with not much action taking place. Lewis Hamilton came home in second while Charles Leclerc was third.
McLaren's Lando Norris came home in fourth after getting one over Carlos Sainz while Red Bull's Sergio Perez was fifth. The sprint was far less eventful than the one in Qatar where different tire strategies played a huge role. The 2023 F1 US GP sprint had everyone, barring Carlos Sainz, start the race on soft tires and as a result, there wasn't much action in terms of pulling off overtakes.
Having said that, there are certainly some interesting takeaways after the sprint. Let's take a look.
2023 F1 US GP Sprint: Top 5 Key Takeaways
#1 Max Verstappen and Red Bull have a lot of pace in hand
Many were excited to see the qualifying session on Friday where neither Red Bulls qualified inside the top 5. Well, the 2023 F1 US GP sprint clearly showed the kind of pace Max Verstappen has in reserve when it comes to the long runs.
A gap of nine seconds on the second-fastest car in just 19 laps is a testament to the kind of advantage that the Dutch driver has. Looks like Lando's prediction of Verstappen being a guaranteed winner was not wrong
#2 Mercedes has the second-fastest car in the 2023 F1 US GP race weekend
There might be close competition from McLaren but Hamilton's pace early in the stint was extremely impressive. While George Russell is struggling with the new upgraded car, Hamilton has found his rhythm already and is exploiting the most from it.
Mercedes could potentially be a contender for the win if somehow Max Verstappen is thwarted for a decent number of laps by other cars.
#3 Tire degradation will be a concern but it's hard to pull off overtakes at COTA
Tire life is going to be a concern during the 2023 F1 US GP but one thing that also became evident very quickly was how tough it is to pull off overtakes on this track. The way Carlos Sainz was able to defend against George Russell was a clear sign that the cars are now becoming harder to follow.
The race is going to be very interesting because the teams will have to find the right balance between track position and tire life.
#4 Ferraris might struggle in the race
Ferrari was the fourth-fastest car in terms of pace in the 2023 F1 US GP sprint and Charles Leclerc barely held on to the podium position ahead of Lando Norris. The race on Sunday is not going to be as forgiving and with Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull having better pace, a podium might be a tough task for Leclerc.
For Carlos Sainz as well, even though his defense was valiant, you just can't do it for the entire race and hope to get a good result. Ferraris might struggle for a strong result this Sunday.
#5 Aston Martin is looking at a poor weekend
Fernando Alonso's gaze has continued to get more and more distant as the weekend has gone on. The Aston Martin had no pace whatsoever in the sprint and in all fairness, it appears that the team is looking at a horrendous weekend in Austin. There's something seriously wrong with the car and it's not getting fixed this weekend, at the least.
