Only 52 points separate Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen and Lando Norris as the series visits the United States for the annual U.S. Grand Prix at Texas’ Circuit of The Americas.
While 52 points may be a solid buffer with six races remaining in the season, COTA presents a crucial stage for Verstappen to capitalize upon.
To put it into perspective, Verstappen entered last year’s event a whopping 209 markers ahead of teammate Sergio Perez. He’d already locked up a third straight F-1 title.
This year, however, is a different story.
Since Verstappen’s last victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, Oracle Red Bull racing has lacked an edge it’s had the last year-and-a-half when Verstappen reeled off 26 wins in 33 races.
Three podium finishes in the last eight races without a victory, along with Norris notching two wins of his own, has allowed the McLaren driver to close the points gap considerably.
However, with nearly a month off to reset, Verstappen feels he and his team have found solutions to their slump.
“We have had a few weeks away from racing, giving us time to refocus and to work hard on our performance ahead of the United States Grand Prix,” Verstappen said. “We have made some changes to the car to hopefully better suit this circuit, so (we) will see if this makes us more competitive when we head out on track.
“This week will be another hectic sprint race, with a lot planned over the weekend. Austin is a really cool city and the atmosphere at the track is like no other.”
The 20-turn permanent road course has been one of Verstappen’s strongest as the 27-year-old has won the last three events at COTA.