KANNAPOLIS, NC (WBTV) – The Kannapolis-based Uralkali Haas F1 team makes a homecoming as Formula 1 prepares for the 2021 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
“Austin was always good to us,” said team boss Günther Steiner. “We have a good following here in the US, and it’s growing as Formula One grows in the US. We have Haas Hill in Austin that has sold out for weeks, if not months, and it’s always great to go to. Austin as a city and a racetrack is just a good place and after missing out on last year I think the whole of Formula 1 is happy to be back in Austin and we look forward to it. We did quite a bit with NASCAR there as Gene also owns a NASCAR team – Stewart-Haas Racing – which was a great success as Romain and Kevin drove this car with Tony Stewart, who is a legend there. So all in all, I’m very happy to go there and spend the weekend. “
Formula 1 has a long and storied history in the United States, with several legendary venues across the country hosting world championship events. Sebring, Watkins Glen, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Dallas, Detroit, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have all been visited by Formula 1 as Miami looms on the horizon.
Since 2012, the championship has been established on the specially built and extremely popular Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Four years later, the Uralkali Haas F1 team joined Formula 1 and gave the top championship of motorsport both an American team and an American event.
COTA, located on the outskirts of the popular city of Austin, was built specifically for Formula 1 and offers a mix of challenges for teams and drivers alike.
The midpoint of the route is the mountainous curve 1, which is now named in honor of the COTA investor Red McCombs Big Red Suzuka. A long back straight and a stadium-style complex encourage the fight side by side thanks to a multitude of ideal lines, while a right-hand bend with four peaks and a double left-hand bend bring the 5.5 km long lap to an end.
For Uralkali Haas F1 Team rookies Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher, the upcoming lap will be their first race experience in the States.
“It’s a very interesting place, it’s a cool track and I’ve never raced there so I’m looking forward to getting out of there,” said Mazepin. “It’s a track that requires a lot of rhythm, so hopefully I’ll find it quickly!”
“It’s our home race, I’m looking forward to it, of course, but it’s much more than that,” said Schumacher. “I like Austin and the USA. It’s special and it’s something where Formula 1 isn’t that big yet, but we’re about to get very big, especially because of the Drive to Survive series. I’m really looking forward to it because it’s a great show, there is always so much going on and to be honest, I’m really looking forward to going back to the States. “
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is the leader in the drivers’ championship race against Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton with 256.5 points and 5 wins with 262.5 points and 7 wins in the USGP. Mercedes leads the designer points with 433.5 points ahead of Red Bull’s 397.5, with McLaren ((240), Ferrari (232.5) and Alpine (104) rounding off the top 5.
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