F1 Austin race pace analysis: Charles Leclerc on average 0.3s faster than McLaren-Max Verstappen trio

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Ferrari secures a one-two finish in the United States Grand Prix, with the Monza upgrade package passing its test with flying colors. Here's the race pace analysis of the Austin GP!

No updates were needed, but perfect strategy, flawless pit stops, and an "old" aerodynamic package that was brilliantly tested on a challenging track allowed Ferrari to forcefully claim a one-two finish in the USA. Let's take a closer look at the race pace analysis in Austin!

Race Pace

Clean air, as always, makes a significant difference. Thanks to an excellent start, Charles Leclerc managed to slip past the leading duo and emerged first from the first corner. From that point on, a great first stint on medium tires allowed him to extend his lead over the rest of the pack, despite a Safety Car in the early laps that reduced his advantage by 1.5 seconds.

The Gaps

Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, lost more time than Charles Leclerc in the early phase of the race, struggling to overtake Max Verstappen for second place. However, with an early pit stop and an undercut on the Red Bull driver, he managed to recover time in the second stint, achieving a pace very similar to that of Charles Leclerc.

The McLaren – Max Verstappen trio lost an average of three-tenths per lap to Charles Leclerc, even though both teams brought updates for this weekend. Ferrari, however, fully endorsed the aerodynamic package brought to Monza, which needed to be evaluated on a less “peculiar” circuit after the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay street circuit. This performance from Ferrari bodes well for the final races of the 2024 Formula 1 season: given their excellent performances on both fast tracks, namely Monza and Singapore, where disappointing results were not due to the package and technical circuits like Austin, the Constructors’ Championship battle may be far from over.

Ferrari also excelled in pit stops: they had the fastest pit stops on average in a race where the undercut proved to be very powerful, if not essential, for securing a one-two finish at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin from outside the front row.

The race was expected by Pirelli to predominantly feature a two-stop strategy, yet only three drivers ultimately chose that approach. The medium tire turned out to be much more performance-oriented and less prone to degradation than anticipated. This may have been the key that helped Ferrari complete the one-two finish: for many races now, we have seen that the Scuderia prefers medium tires over hard ones, which typically cause them to lose time and struggle to manage.

Extending the initial stint on mediums (almost half the race) allowed Ferrari to build a gap for Charles Leclerc and set up an undercut for Carlos Sainz. After switching to hard tires, and following the mandatory pit stops for McLaren, both Ferrari drivers managed their tires effectively, bringing home a fantastic one-two finish for the Maranello team.

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