McLaren Racing – Everything You Need to Know About the United States Grand Prix

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Yes, after missing a trip across the pond last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are finally back in the United States of America. Apparently it’s home to the brave, so McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo should fit right in at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Keep scrolling to hear from Lando and Daniel and team principal Andreas Seidl ahead of the United States Grand Prix. Scroll a little further and you’ll find out what to look out for this weekend, learn about our brand new United States Grand Prix merchandise collection, and find out the latest about the competitions we have in store. Notice how we said “competitions” in the plural? Oh yeah, we have more than one coming your way this week. It’s going to be epic.

So follow you

What you say

“I can’t wait to be back in America this weekend, where we’ll try to recover from the result in Turkey. Austin is known for its great atmosphere and I am sure that it will be the same again this year as the fans are super passionate. The battle in the Constructors’ Championship continues, so we have to keep pushing.

“COTA is one of the most exciting tracks on the calendar. Although the track has elements of other F1 circuits, it still feels like a unique place to race. I took part in a virtual race around COTA with the Arrow McLaren SP team during the pandemic last year, which was a lot of fun, but can’t wait to really drive in an F1 car there after two years. Hopefully it will be a good weekend for us. “

“I am delighted to be in the USA after a one-year break. The city of Austin is a special place known for its brisket, BBQ, and all that good stuff. Not to mention that COTA is arguably one of the best tracks we can race on. We have to make up for what we missed last year, so we’ll work hard for a good result.

“We took the time between races to analyze, understand and learn from what happened last time. We are ready to move on and focus on this weekend’s challenge. I think some parts of the track will suit us, so we should be in the mix by a few points on Sunday.

“To top the weekend off, I’ll also get behind the wheel of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s 1984 Wrangler Chevrolet Monte Carlo. He’s a big hero of mine, so driving one of his cars will be a surreal moment and a bit of a dream come true. A big thank you to Zak for keeping his end of the deal and making this possible. I can barely wait for it!”

“We look forward to returning to the US this weekend as we go into the final six races of the season. Having Austin back on the calendar this year is great for the sport and especially the avid US fans. The US Grand Prix offers one of the most unique atmospheres on the calendar. Known for taking inspiration from some of the best tracks in the world, COTA offers a challenging variety of turn types.

“Since Turkey, the team has taken the time to review and evaluate our performance and we will feed our findings into this weekend and the rest of the year. We need to stay focused and keep doing our best, both on and off track, as we adjust to work in a different time zone. Every point is crucial to the fight for the constructors’ championship. As we’ve already seen this season, it’s crucial to get the best performance out of our package across all track variants. The position we are currently in is a testament to the dedication and dedication of the entire team. Let’s keep pushing this weekend. “

United States Grand Prix

What the statistics say

Daniel has competed in every United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. He finished in the points four times, especially in 2014 and 2016 he took a podium. Although he didn’t accumulate nearly as many miles as Daniel on the Circuit of the Americas, he is one of Lando’s favorite circuits. He qualified in the top 10 in his rookie F1 season and finished seventh – one place higher than he started.

As for McLaren’s history in the race, we’re currently number two on the repeat winners list – tied with Lotus in eight wins. Our first came back in 1976 when James Hunt won the race from pole position before taking the drivers’ championship at the Japanese Grand Prix that year – the 45th anniversary of which happens to be this Sunday this weekend. Our last USA Grand Prix win was in 2012 with Lewis Hamilton – the first time the USA Grand Prix was held at the Circuit of the Americas and the first time since 2007.

However, our racing success story goes back further than Hunt’s victory in 1976: Our founder Bruce McLaren won the 1959 race for Cooper. It was the first time the race was part of the Formula 1 World Championship and Bruce’s first Grand Prix victory. At 22 years, 3 months and 12 days, he became the youngest Grand Prix winner of all time – a record that was to stand for more than 40 years.

Tire compound choice for the US GP

What to look out for

The Circuit of the Americas is fast, fluid and offers multiple overtaking opportunities around the lap. The first sector is all about high speeds, but slow corners dominate the rest of the lap, making the setup choice anything but easy. The teams have to find the best compromise between the two.

The Circuit of the Americas is a real fan favorite. Speaking of which, we’re launching #McLarenFanHeist and challenging you to ambush a friend ahead of the United States Grand Prix. This week is your chance to turn those who just don’t understand your love for F1 into die-hard fans of the sport and McLaren, and beyond that, we’ll give you the tools to do so. Keep an eye on McLaren.com, the McLaren app, and our social channels to find everything you need.

Weather forecast for the weekend

What to wear

For our return to the USA we couldn’t resist putting together a United States Grand Prix Collection; Our favorites from this new series are certainly the McLaren Driver Jerseys. You can choose Lando’s football-inspired jersey with his bib number or Daniel’s jersey, which is all about number three. You can’t go wrong with either, but as is usually the case with a McLaren Store spoiled for choice, buying either is the way to go. There’s even a US GP 9FIFTY cap to complete the look. So when you pick up a jersey, put the cap in your shopping cart too.

Plus one

When it comes to prizes, we’re going to make it big, really big, at the United States Grand Prix. We give you the chance to win not once, not twice, but three times. We can’t reveal all the prices just yet, but we can tell you that tomorrow the first competition of the week starts and you can get your hands on a suit from a certain Australian F1 driver – and we’re not talking about his birthday suit. Full details of the competitions will be announced in due course, but you will need to register with McLaren Plus to enter. This is the convenient way to be one of the first to find out all the details about how to win these prizes. So be sure to register using the form below!

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