What a scrapped livery says about Red Bull’s US Grand Prix chances

After four long weekends of autumn break, Formula 1 returns with a thrilling stretch of races, kicking off with the United States Grand Prix in Texas.

Although COTA hasn’t been on the calendar as long as some of the more historic circuits, it has quickly earned a reputation for delivering high-octane excitement and unforgettable moments.

This year’s race marks a critical juncture in the championship, with several teams introducing upgrades and the battle for positions heating up. Let’s take a look at how the teams are gearing up for this unique track, what its most notable features are, and which teams and drivers it favours the most.

US Grand Prix: Key features of COTA

The popular Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is one of three Grands Prix in the United States – following Miami and ahead of Las Vegas. The track stretches 5.5 km, and on Sunday, we’ll witness 56 laps of racing. Adding to the excitement, there’s also a sprint race on Saturday, leaving teams with just one practice session to gather data and fine-tune their setups.

COTA draws inspiration from many legendary circuits, such as Silverstone and Suzuka, meaning it offers a little bit of everything. The standout feature is undoubtedly Turn 1, with its uphill climb and wide entry that provides drivers with multiple racing line options. Over the years, this corner has delivered some spectacular moments and overtakes. After T1, the first sector features a sequence of high-speed corners that demand stability and downforce, particularly on the rear axle.

The second sector is defined by the second DRS zone and a heavy braking point that follows it. The third sector is the slowest, packed with tight corners. In other words, COTA challenges teams with a need for both strong grip in the fast and slow corners, and good top speed on the straights.

As for tyres, the forces acting on them are fairly evenly distributed across the surface, with no specific tyre taking more strain than others. Pirelli has opted for medium-hard compounds this weekend, with C2 as the hard, C3 as the medium, and C4 as the soft option.

It’s also worth noting that the Texas track has a fresh layer of asphalt this year, which will affect abrasiveness compared to previous races. Coupled with the limited time teams have to adjust, adaptability will be crucial. Last year, the medium tyres were favoured, with a strategy involving hard tyres and two pit stops in total.

US Grand Prix: Which teams are best suited for COTA?

COTA is a representative track where the fastest and most efficient cars typically triumph. With that in mind, it’s easy to predict that McLaren will be the team to beat this weekend.

Their car is perfectly suited to tracks like this, full of corners and relatively short straights. It will be incredibly tough for other teams to beat McLaren, especially in the first and third sectors. It’s also worth mentioning that McLaren, along with a few other teams, has announced new upgrade packages for the US GP, so surprises could well be in store.

On the other hand, Max Verstappen, after three consecutive wins here, faces slim chances of securing a fourth. At a circuit where car balance is key, Red Bull doesn’t seem like the team that can challenge for victory.

The fact that they’ve scrapped their special livery plans for this race speaks volumes about the difficulties they’re facing. Their main focus now seems to be maintaining their lead over Lando Norris in the Drivers’ World Championship as best as they can.

We also shouldn’t forget Ferrari and Mercedes, both of whom could easily sneak into podium contention. Ferrari is in great form, and while this isn’t their ideal type of track, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them just behind McLaren.

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