US Grand Prix: F1 – Live | Formula one

Ger Nugent writes to ask about grid positions. I’m glad you asked:

1. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari (5th in the season standings)

2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull (1st, obviously)

3. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (6th)

4. George Russell, Mercedes (4th)

5. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin (15th)

6. Lando Norris, McLaren (7th)

7. Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo (10th)

8. Alexander Albon, Williams (19th)

9. Sergio Perez, Red Bull (2nd)*

10. Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin (11th)

11. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri (13th)

12. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (3rd)*

13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas (14th)

14. Fernando Alonso, Alpine (9th)*

15. Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren (12th)

16. Mick Schumacher, Haas (16th)

17. Nicholas Latifi, Williams (20s)

18. Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo (18th)*

19. Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri (17th)

20. Esteban Ocon, Alpine (8th)*

Those with an asterisk received a penalty, the worst for Ocon, who has to start from the pit lane. It’s also bad news for Leclerc and Ferrari as they try to break Red Bull’s march to a 1-2 finish to the season, although Perez also has a penalty to overcome.

The other story of note: Formula 1 is finally starting to make inroads in the United States in earnest. Maybe younger, more progressive Americans aren’t comfortable with NASCAR’s “Let’s Go Brandon” fans, and IndyCar just doesn’t capture the imagination.

But it’s also part of some impressive efforts to make F1 cool. The Netflix series Drive to Survive introduced viewers to the sport, and its charismatic drivers performed well on social media. Young American fans have become fans of drivers who are not even title contenders.

Next year, the USA will host three races, including what is sure to be a glamorous spectacle in Las Vegas. And Logan Sargent became the first American driver to participate in practice, let alone race, in seven years when he took to the track in Austin this weekend. He will have a full-time gig next year as long as he accumulates enough points towards his “Super Licence”. (Funny – in most US states getting points on your license is a bad thing.)

The big story of the weekend, of course, is whether Red Bull’s spending of one million dollars this season constitutes “fraud.”

That’s a scathing indictment of a sport where technology and financial resources are secondary to the skill of the drivers, and are you impressed I could write it without laughing?

And this is especially important in a sport known for consistent and reasonable application of the rules.

But in all fairness, Verstappen is no longer just an untamed prodigy, but a true champion who has the potential to leave his mark all over the record books by the time he’s done.

So back on track, so to speak – we’re late in the season now, so we should all be engrossed in this thrilling title race between Max Verstappen and … oh, right … nobody.

Hello everyone, and before we get into the drama and occasional comedy of F1 today, it seems appropriate to note the passing of Dietrich Mateschitz, creator of the Red Bull energy drink and sports empire. Red Bull’s sporting influence is as big as any other company except perhaps the big shoe companies, with a presence in everything from soccer to action sports. This influence is not without controversy, but the brand certainly cannot be ignored, and Mateschitz in particular has an interest in Formula 1.

Updated at 19.07 BST

Bo will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s some news from Christian Horner:

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner launched a scathing attack on criticism from drivers after the FIA ​​announced his team had breached Formula 1’s budget cap. Addressing a letter written last week by McLaren director Zach Brown , describing any cap violation as a “fraud,” Horner said allegations against the team even led to abuse of employees’ children.

Horner was speaking publicly for the first time since the FIA ​​announced that Red Bull had breached the budget cap for 2021. The FIA’s decision was revealed just a day after Max Verstappen secured his second F1 title at the Japanese GP two weeks ago.

In Austin for today’s US Grand Prix this weekend, Red Bull’s breakthrough overshadowed events on the track. Horner continued to argue that his team met the limit according to their interpretation of the rules, but as he sat next to Brown at the press conference, he was furious with his fellow team director.

“It is extremely disappointing to have a fellow competitor accuse you of cheating. To be accused of fraudulent activity is shocking, without facts, without any knowledge of the details,” he said.