If Lando Norris fans are expecting a Max Verstappen slip-up in the upcoming race weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, they could be in for a disappointment. Records in Austin favor the Dutch driver, who will be looking to build a gap over his title rival, whom he leads by 52 points heading into the US Grand Prix.
COTA has always been one of Verstappen’s strongest venues — not just recently, but even during his Toro Rosso (now RB) days. The three-time world champion has never finished below P4 at the circuit, which is a great feat considering the fact that in 2015, he drove a car that barely managed to find its way into the points.
He did have a DNF in 2016, but even that was after securing a P4 spot in qualifying. In 2018 and 2019, two seasons of Mercedes dominance, he finished P2 and P3 respectively. There was no US GP in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but upon its return to the calendar, Verstappen would stand tall.
Max Verstappen loves COTA: He has never placed worse than 4th when finishing a race in Austin, even dating back to his Toro Rosso days.
2023 –
2022 –
2021 –
2019 –
2018 –
2017 – 4TH
2016 – DNF
2015 – 4THSome very memorable drives on that list. pic.twitter.com/CEnd9sKcVL
— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) October 14, 2024
In fact, since it came back to the schedule in 2021, Verstappen has won every single race in Austin — last year from P6. This is the streak that would make his challengers wary.
As such, Verstappen and his camp can expect another strong performance from the Red Bull driver this weekend. P4, however, won’t be the benchmark because if he finishes lower than P2, there would be a lot of smiles in Norris’ corner.
Why Verstappen cannot afford to finish lower than P2
Verstappen, thanks to the RB20, made a good start to the season. He won seven out of the opening 10 races, after which, the car’s dominance faltered. Norris has been on his tail ever since, with the gap between the two now as close as it has ever been.
However, the ball is in Verstappen’s court. He can hold on to his lead in the standings even if Norris wins every single Grand Prix and sprint race remaining. All Verstappen has to do is finish P2 or above in all of them.
Talent and ability won’t be a problem for Verstappen. But the RB20 might.
Balance issues have plagued the 27-year-old’s second half of the season immensely, and Red Bull is hoping to rectify that heading into Austin — normally, a happy hunting ground for Verstappen.
