United States Grand Prix 2023 — Weekend Preview

Round 18 of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship takes the field to Austin, United States. United States Grand Prix — American Purpose-Built Racing. Max Verstappen leads the championship with 404 points, 195 points ahead of Sergio Perez.

Driver Championship (entering R18):
P1: Max Verstappen — 404 pts (14W, 16P)
P2: Sergio Perez — 209 pts (2W, 8P)
P3: Lewis Hamilton — 186 pts (0W, 5P)
P4: Fernando Alonso — 175 pts (0W, 7P)
P5: Carlos Sainz — 135 pts (1W, 2P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Red Bull Racing — 613 pts
P2: Mercedes — 306 pts
P3: Ferrari — 269 pts
P4: Aston Martin — 216 pts
P5: McLaren — 195 pts

Austin is technically demanding.

Recent winners at Austin:
- 2025: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- 2024: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 2023: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- 2022: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)

Tyre strategy data will be available after practice sessions provide degradation information.

Battles to watch:

Championship battle: Max Verstappen vs Sergio Perez — 195 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Lewis Hamilton (186) vs Fernando Alonso (175) — just 11 points apart.
P5 vs P6: Carlos Sainz (135) vs Charles Leclerc (134) — just 1 points apart.

Understand this race better:

- [Downforce](/f1/learning/tactical-intelligence/downforce)
- [Aero Balance](/f1/learning/tactical-intelligence/aero-balance)