United States GP: ROKiT Williams Grand Prix Preview
By Williams Racing
October 30 2019
In what is a back to back race the ROKiT Williams team moves to the Circuit of the Americas for the 2019 United States GP. Robert Kubica and Grorge Russell will again be joined by Nicholas Latifi who will again drive in FP1. All three drivers are really looking forward to the weekend which will also see Pirelli give the teams opportunity to further test their 2020 tyres.
We cross the border for the final leg of the
last back-to-back of the season, as we go Stateside for Round 19 of the
FIA Formula One World Championship. Austin’s popular Circuit of the
Americas is a favourite amongst drivers and fans, not least due to its
lively off-track atmosphere.
The United States Grand Prix is a new track for both Robert and George,
but one that they are looking forward to. Nicholas Latifi will drive his
penultimate FP1 of the season, this time in George’s car.
Dave Robson, Senior Race Engineer:
For the second of the back-to-back races, we head north to Austin and
the COTA circuit. Since it joined the Formula One calendar, the Circuit
of the Americas has been a firm favourite with the drivers and fans
alike. The circuit features a series of signature corners as well as the
daunting climb up to T1, which adds to the spectacle of the race start.
The weather in Austin in October can range from very cold to
oppressively hot and can change rapidly. Where 2019 ends up in this
range of conditions will dictate how the tyres behave and will likely
have a large influence on the race result. To cope with the demands of
this circuit, Pirelli have again provided the three middle compounds
from their range. Although the same compounds as raced in Mexico, their
behaviour will be different, and a typical Friday programme will involve
understanding their performance at low and high fuel.
With the end of the 2019 season almost in
sight, we begin in earnest our trackside preparations for 2020 with some
additional tyres testing on Friday. Pirelli have provided each car with
2 sets of tyres in the 2020 construction and so we can expect to see
more running than usual during FP1 and FP2 as the teams begin their
preparations ahead of the post-season Abu Dhabi tyre test.
Nicholas joins us again this weekend, this time driving George’s car in
FP1. Our programme will include further aerodynamic testing, 2020 tyre
testing, and our usual qualifying and race preparation. If the weather
is kind, then Friday could be an extremely busy day.
Robert Kubica:
I know very little about the track in Austin. I know what I have seen
from footage and the simulator, but it will be a new track for me. From
what I can see it looks like a challenging circuit, especially the first
part of it. However, I am looking forward to a new experience.
George Russell:
Austin is a track and a race that I have been looking forward to for a
very long time. Out of the newer circuits it is definitely the best one
out there, it has such an amazing flow to it. It is a track similar to
Silverstone, with an incredibly fun first sector. I have been there the
last two years and it was always a great atmosphere, so I am really
looking forward to it.
Nicholas Latifi:
Coming off an FP1 last week I feel that I am more in the rhythm of the
car, which is important when you only have a limited number of laps in
the session. Austin in probably one of the tracks on the calendar that I
am most looking forward to driving that I have not yet driven. It seems
like a track that has a bit of everything and the first sector, with all
the fast-flowing corners, is exactly what I love in these high downforce
cars. It’s not so often that I get to drive new tracks for the first
time so I’m looking forward to that challenge and hopefully I’ll be able
to get up to speed quickly.
Race Data Friday:
Practice 1: 11:00 - 12:30
Practice 2: 15:00 - 16:30 Saturday:
Practice 3: 13:00 - 14:00
Qualifying: 16:00 – 17:00 Sunday: Race: 13:10
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