The starting grid in Austin will look pretty empty as the Formula 1 cars line up ahead of the 2023 United States Grand Prix. Because of the 20 drivers, only 16 will start the race from the starting grid.
Both Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll as well as Haas drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen will follow the field from the pit lane because their cars were modified after the sprint.
This is forbidden under parc ferme conditions, which is why all four drivers have to give up their actual starting positions. The biggest “loser” is Kevin Magnussen, who would have actually started 14th. Hülkenberg would have been 16th, Alonso 17th and Stroll 19th.
The sacrifice is manageable, especially at Aston Martin. The Silverstone team, which brought an upgrade to Austin, struggled with braking problems in the first and only practice session and therefore had little time to work on the set-up.
Deputy Technical Director Eric Blandin emphasizes: “We have learned that [neue] “The package actually worked as we expected.” However, the set-up could not be “optimized”, which is why the cars were now converted for the race.
“We believe that there is significantly more performance in the car,” he emphasizes and also reveals: “We have chosen the pragmatic approach: one car starts with the Qatar specification and the other with the new package.”
“Lance will have the new package and Fernando will have the Qatar package,” said Blandin. The brake problems on Friday were due to an “error in the simulation”. “We covered the front brakes too much and they caught fire,” he explains.
Formula 1: Haas disappointed with upgrade
Haas also brought an upgrade this weekend, but team boss Günther Steiner admitted after the sprint: “The upgrade didn’t bring what we expected.” Here, too, both cars were converted for the race.
All other drivers who were actually behind Alonso, Hülkenberg and Co. move up the starting grid. The biggest winner is local hero Logan Sargeant, who will now start his home race from 16th place instead of 20th and last.