Before a boisterous and growing audience with each passing session, Formula 1 faces a decisive qualifying session at the Circuit of the Americas in which the title contenders, for one reason or another, have not shown 100% of their potential in free practice. The supposed advantage that Mercedes or Red Bull could have on this track has been alternating based on laps canceled, aborted or without 100% representative data. Will it be a new pole for Lewis Hamilton, an authority blow from Max Verstappen or a surprise from Sergio Pérez after shining in free practice?
McLaren and Ferrari continue in their particular duel for third place in the constructors’ classification, which is transferred to this classification. Carlos Sainz’s good performance in the last practice sessions invite optimism in this regard. Objectives very different from those of a Fernando Alonso who will be one of the three drivers sanctioned at the back of the grid for changing engine components, along with Sebastian Vettel and George Russell. They complete the string of sanctions Valtteri Bottas, although in his case he will only lose five places for being his second engine change.