Austin Tyre Allocation

The tyre allocation for Austin has been chosen and the middle of the compounds have been nominated: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C4 (Soft).

The teams will need to be careful of the uneven track surface, as they may need to run a higher ride height – so studying the data carefully is key to find the best set-up.

The 2021 United States Grand Prix, was a two-stopper but with a completely new range of tyres, it may be a different story – thanks to the new regulations, different weather conditions and other variables on track.

As was the case in Japan, the second free practice session has been extended to 90 minutes to test the 2023 slick tyre prototypes, to help fine-tune the compounds for next season.

The entire FP2 session will be devoted to the tyre test with Pirelli setting the run plan. If teams are running a rookie in FP1, it is allowed to run its own programme for some of FP2, before concentrating on the tyre test for the remainder of the session.

The Circuit of The Americas is a balanced layout when it comes to the demands placed on cars and tyres in terms of traction, braking and lateral loads, but it’s mainly a flowing track that the drivers love, which nonetheless presents some challenging sections that shouldn’t be underestimated. The track was partially re-asphalted in 2020, with a ‘milling’ process also taking place last year to shave off the worst of the bumps that oblige teams to raise the ride height, which affects aerodynamics. In the first free practice session, there could be a high degree of track evolution so it’s going to be vital for the teams to maximise the data collected during FP3 to define the best strategy. The second free practice session will be dedicated to slick tyre testing for 2023, weather permitting. Weather conditions in Austin have been extremely variable in the past, so it’s a circuit where you have to be ready for anything!

Mario Isla, Motorsport Director.