Think about, if you’ll, having the form of season that Pink Bull driver Sergio Pèrez is having, however seeing nothing however questions on your future each time you unlock your telephone.
He’s considered one of simply three drivers to win a Grand Prix this 12 months. He helped Pink Bull to their second-straight Constructors’ Championship, and is sitting second within the Drivers’ Championship, having prolonged his lead over Hamilton whereas in Austin. Pérez is considered one of simply 5 drivers to safe a pole place this season, and considered one of simply 4 drivers with a number of pole positions on the 12 months.
And but nearly each story written about him — together with some from yours actually — surprise if his seat at Pink Bull is really protected for 2024.
Nonetheless, he forges on, and now he will get to go to Mexico for his residence race, the place the group will probably be behind him in full voice.
“I feel we all know what we did flawed throughout the weekend, so we’re actually optimistic going into future races,” stated Pérez following the USGP. “We want to verify we be taught from this weekend as there are some good understandings to make for Mexico. There is a little more tempo in there and I’m massively wanting ahead to my residence Grand Prix.”
His boss, who gave him an enormous vote of confidence forward of the USA Grand Prix, praised his effort in Austin.
“Checo additionally drove effectively. He’s had some robust races however he had good tempo in the present day and I feel he’ll take a variety of confidence from that,” stated Pink Bull Staff Principal Christian Horner. “Hopefully that can put him in area earlier than his residence race subsequent weekend. As all eyes flip to Mexico, we sit up for seeing what’s to return and what we are able to obtain.”
Over his profession, his greatest end in his residence race is a P3, one thing he completed in each 2021 and 2022. Enhancing on that will be a heck of a solution to come residence, and shut individuals like me up for some time.
Has Logan Sargeant carried out sufficient?
He lastly has his first level in Formulation 1.
Now Logan Sargeant is left to surprise if that will probably be sufficient to safe his spot for 2024.
The rookie is the one driver whose standing stays up within the air for subsequent season, as Williams has but to decide to him for the 2024 marketing campaign. Final month Staff Principal James Vowles outlined that Sargeant has quite a few benchmarks to hit earlier than the crew will solidify his seat for subsequent season, but it surely stays unclear as to what precisely the crew needed to see from the American driver earlier than locking him in for 2024.
“Logan has very clear targets of what he has to hit earlier than the top of the season, and we’re working with him repeatedly,” Vowles stated in September. “And that’s the essential level, we’re working with him. We wish him to succeed, and we wish him within the automobile subsequent 12 months.”
Nonetheless, Sunday delivered a profession first for the rookie, due to each a robust drive, and the twin disqualifications of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Sargeant completed the USA Grand Prix in twelfth place — which was already considered one of his greatest finishes of the season, as he picked up 4 spots throughout the race — however the double DQ bumped him up into P10, and into the factors.
“It’s superb to attain my first level in F1 on residence turf after the difficult weekend I’ve had. I’m so happy with this crew and myself for the exhausting work and progress we’ve been making this season,” stated Sargeant after the race. “We labored exhausting in a single day to discover a path with the automobile that was going to be optimistic, and we discovered that.”
The accomplishment additionally made him the primary American driver since Michael Andretti again in 1993 to attain factors in a F1 race.
His success in Austin doubtless checks one large field for Williams, by way of Sargeant locking down a seat for subsequent season. However with the crew on the lookout for consistency, backing up his efficiency in the USA Grand Prix with one other strong effort in Mexico Metropolis will take him one other step nearer in direction of a return to the grid in 2024.
Mercedes vs. Ferrari
The newest chapter on this season’s battle between Ferrari and Mercedes for second place within the Constructors’ Championship took a captivating activate Sunday. The Silver Arrows, due to an obvious second-place end from Lewis Hamilton, prolonged their lead over Ferrari for a short second.
However that second was erased when each Hamilton and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc have been disqualified following a post-race inspection that discovered the planks on each their vehicles didn’t adjust to F1’s Technical Rules. So as a substitute of Mercedes extending their lead over Ferrari by a small margin, as a substitute Ferrari really chipped into that Mercedes benefit.
The groups head to Mexico separated by simply 22 factors, with Mercedes holding onto that slim lead.
Can both profit from their time in Mexico, or will this battle actually go all the way down to the ultimate laps of the season?
Aston Martin upgrades
A lot of groups introduced upgrades to Austin forward of the USA Grand Prix, together with Aston Martin. The crew introduced quite a few new parts to Texas, together with a brand new ground.
Nonetheless, by the point the Grand Prix rolled round, a few of these upgrades have been out the window. After each drivers did not advance to Q2 throughout qualifying on Friday, the crew determined to make some adjustments to each vehicles forward of the race itself, relegating each Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso to pit lane for the beginning.
To their credit score, each drivers made essentially the most of issues on the monitor, and within the closing phases each Stroll and Alonso have been in a factors place. Whereas Alonso was compelled to retire close to the top of the race with ground harm, Stroll got here throughout the road in ninth. The double disqualification noticed him bumped as much as P7, a powerful end result given how he began.
Now the crew will get to go to Mexico for a standard race week, with three apply classes forward of qualifying. That can give Aston Martin three hours to get a grasp of the upgraded AMR23, and maybe a greater shot at a good qualifying session.
“We gathered precious information on the most recent updates in the present day. That information can pay dividends for the upcoming races as we proceed to tune the set-up of the AMR23,” stated Staff Principal Mike Krack following the USGP. “I need to thank everybody on the AMRTC in Silverstone and right here in Austin for his or her efforts over latest weeks to get the brand new elements on the automobile. We sit up for getting again on monitor subsequent weekend in Mexico.”
McLaren on the march
Think about this.
It’s mathematically potential for McLaren to move each Mercedes and Ferrari, and end second within the Constructors’ Championship.
After all, it might take lots for that to occur, beginning with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri sweeping the season, and each Mercedes and Ferrari scuffling down the stretch, However the truth that it mathematically potential appears a lifetime faraway from the place McLaren began the season.
In spite of everything, this was a crew that spent most of pre-season testing in Bahrain questioning what was flawed with the MCL60, and admitting upgrades could be wanted as quickly as potential. We have been questioning early within the 12 months when it was time to panic at McLaren, and as Norris defined to me in April, even the upgrades the crew rolled out beginning in Azerbaijan wouldn’t ship rapid enhancements.
However finally, issues clicked. A crew that was sitting in sixth place within the Constructors’ standings following the Canadian Grand Prix, with simply 17 factors on the season, has scored a shocking 225 factors since then. Solely Pink Bull has scored extra factors over that stretch. The end result? A climb from sixth place, and behind Alpine, to fourth place behind solely Pink Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
Norris additionally highlighted for me again in April that given the relative power of Pink Bull, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Mercedes on the time, the remainder of the sector was largely left preventing for the ultimate two factors positions.
Now? Now everybody — save maybe Pink Bull — appears to be chasing them.
A surprising turnaround, and one which has us questioning: Can McLaren be a real title challenger in 2024 at this charge?