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The beautiful but gruelling Circuit of the Americas, located near Austin, Texas will be the scene of the United States Formula Grand Prix this weekend.
Engineers at Renault Sport F1 detail here the several challenges of the 5.513km road course.
Altitude is an important consideration in Austin as the track rises and falls as it follows the contours of the landscape. This change of gradient means engine speeds and turbo rotation vary over the course of the lap, and settings must be constantly adjusted to give optimal performance.
The low ambient humidity of the Texan grasslands has a big effect on the Power Units. The air will contain more oxygen and the ICE will generate more power, but the aridity is very taxing on the internals. We will watch ignition timing very closely.
Austin can be quite chilly in November, which will increase fuel consumption over one lap. When this factor is added to the stop start character of the last sector, it makes the consumption per kilometre one of the highest of the season. The energy recovery systems will have ample chance to recharge the battery, however, so we will be able to manage the race on the 100kg permitted.
The back straight is 1,016m and the car will be at full throttle for almost 20 seconds. It will also spend over two seconds at maximum velocity at the end of the straight. The driver will brake heavily at the end of the straight for the hairpin so rear-end stability and stability under braking will be crucial.
Just under 60% of the lap is taken at wide open throttle, rising to over 60% in qualifying. After Spa, Monza and Suzuka, it's the fourth ‘power' track of the second part of the season. The average speed will be a touch under 200 km/h with top speed peaking at over 320 km/h.
Engineers at Renault Sport F1 detail here the several challenges of the 5.513km road course.
Altitude is an important consideration in Austin as the track rises and falls as it follows the contours of the landscape. This change of gradient means engine speeds and turbo rotation vary over the course of the lap, and settings must be constantly adjusted to give optimal performance.
The low ambient humidity of the Texan grasslands has a big effect on the Power Units. The air will contain more oxygen and the ICE will generate more power, but the aridity is very taxing on the internals. We will watch ignition timing very closely.
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Austin can be quite chilly in November, which will increase fuel consumption over one lap. When this factor is added to the stop start character of the last sector, it makes the consumption per kilometre one of the highest of the season. The energy recovery systems will have ample chance to recharge the battery, however, so we will be able to manage the race on the 100kg permitted.
The back straight is 1,016m and the car will be at full throttle for almost 20 seconds. It will also spend over two seconds at maximum velocity at the end of the straight. The driver will brake heavily at the end of the straight for the hairpin so rear-end stability and stability under braking will be crucial.
Just under 60% of the lap is taken at wide open throttle, rising to over 60% in qualifying. After Spa, Monza and Suzuka, it's the fourth ‘power' track of the second part of the season. The average speed will be a touch under 200 km/h with top speed peaking at over 320 km/h.