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Formula One leader Max Verstappen is hoping for a quicker Red Bull in Texas this weekend as Lando Norris seeks to speed up McLaren's momentum and beat his rival for the fifth race in a row.
There is still everything to play for as the 24-race season starts its decisive final quarter with Austin's Circuit of the Americas also hosting a Saturday sprint with eight extra points on offer.
Sunday's US Grand Prix kicks off a North/South America triple header, with Mexico and Brazil following on successive weekends, before Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi wrap up six rounds inside eight weeks.
Verstappen's lead is 52 points, down from 78 going into the August break, with 180 still to be won and Norris needing to outscore his rival by more than eight points a weekend on average.
"The next two months are going to be incredibly busy, but also exciting. I’m ready to get back in the car, so let’s show Texas what we can do," said Norris.
Triple champion Verstappen has won all three sprints this season, bringing in a maximum 24 points, and there are three to come.
Norris has taken only nine points this season from the short race format, and may need a bit of help from team mate Oscar Piastri, but Verstappen has also not won anything since the sprint in Austria in June.
He did dominate both the sprint and grand prix in Austin last year and Red Bull have been busy on his car since the last race in Singapore on Sept. 22.
"We have had a few weeks away from racing, giving us time to refocus and to work hard on our performance ahead of the United States Grand Prix," Verstappen said.
"We have made some changes to the car to hopefully better suit this circuit, so will see if this makes us more competitive when we head out on track."
Verstappen's Mexican team mate Sergio Perez always has plenty of support in Austin and will need a boost as he seeks to turn around a dire run of form before his home race, with McLaren 41 points ahead in the constructors' standings.
Ferrari and Mercedes, with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton very much a favourite of the local fans, will also fancy their chances and that would help Norris if they get between him and Verstappen.
"We bring our final update package of the season to Texas and our aim is to close the gap to the front," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
"Since Singapore, we have been working flat out and the high speed turns at this track will provide a useful test for the upgrades we introduced at previous races," commented Ferrari's Fred Vasseur.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo will be absent after being replaced at Red Bull-owned RB by 22-year-old New Zealander Liam Lawson, who inherits an engine penalty as a parting gift.
Lawson, who has driven the track only on the simulator, will be looking to claim a permanent seat for next season and push his case as a future replacement for Perez.
Alex Albon, at Williams, makes his 100th race start while Swiss based tail-enders Sauber have now gone a year since they last scored a point.
The Austin race weekend coincides with a college football game between the University of Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs as well as an Eminem concert at the circuit after qualifying.
"We think it is the biggest weekend ever (in Austin) for sports entertainment, and we're billing it as such," said promoter Bobby Epstein.
Red Bull make changes to car after discussions with FIA
Formula One champions Red Bull have made changes to their car after discussions with the governing FIA, the team said at the U.S. Grand Prix on Thursday following concern from rivals.
The news came after the FIA issued a statement in response to speculation about a possible exploitation of rules restricting work on a car between the start of qualifying and the race.
So-called "parc ferme" conditions prevent any such setup changes but there have been whispers that a team might still be able to do this without detection via a device to adjust the ride height.
A senior Red Bull representative confirmed the existence of a device.
"Yes, it exists although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run. In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward," the team member said.
No further details were given and drivers Max Verstappen, the triple world champion who leads the standings, and Sergio Perez were adamant there had been no performance advantage gained.
"There has been nothing that we were doing. We never actually talked about it. It was impossible," Perez told reporters at Austin's Circuit of the Americas.
"I knew it existed but it was not available to us."
Verstappen said he had first thought media reports were referring to what another team might be doing.
"For us it was just an easy tool when the parts were off," he explained. "It was to adjust, but once the whole car is built together you cannot touch it. So for us it doesn’t change (anything)."
Teams would ideally want to run their car closer to the ground to be as fast as possible in qualifying and then higher in race conditions.
The FIA statement emphasised that any adjustment to the (car's) front bib clearance during parc ferme conditions is strictly prohibited by the regulations.
"While we have not received any indication of any team employing such a system, the FIA remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to enhance the policing of the sport," it added.
"As part of this, we have implemented procedural adjustments to ensure that front bib clearance cannot be easily modified. In some cases, this may involve the application of a seal to provide further assurance of compliance."
Red Bull, dominant last season, are 41 points behind McLaren in the constructors' standings with six rounds remaining.
McLaren's Lando Norris is 52 points adrift of Verstappen after closing the gap from 78 at the August break.
The Briton's Australian team mate Oscar Piastri said he had read about the device.
"I didn't know that Red Bull admitted to it," he told reporters.
"We're obviously pushing the boundaries of the technical regulations, everyone is, you know, that's what makes F1 F1. But from what I've heard and been told, something like this is not pushing the boundaries, it's clearly breaking them."
Speculation about teams bending the rules is nothing new to Formula One and reflective of the tight title battle.
At the previous race in Singapore, it was McLaren in the spotlight with the talk of their rear wing flexing at speed during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix won by their Australian driver Oscar Piastri.
McLaren shrugged it all off and won comfortably in Singapore with Norris.
Formula One drivers to take united stance on swearing
Formula One drivers are planning a united response to the governing body's crackdown on swearing after Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen was punished for his language in a press conference.
Mercedes driver George Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, told reporters at the U.S. Grand Prix that a statement was likely when the championship goes to Mexico next week.
"It does seem a little bit silly that it has come to this," he said. "We have yet to speak to the FIA but we hope to do so probably next week maybe in Mexico.
"Collectively we’re all on the same page. Next week we will probably formally put something towards you guys to read from the drivers as a united whole.
"I think generally speaking we don’t want to be taking away the heat of the moment emotions that drivers show during a race. It is down to maybe the broadcaster when it comes to the race to choose whether they want to broadcast that."
Russell added it was challenging for drivers in the heat of battle and talking over the team radio but recognised in a calmer environment "maybe we have a duty just to be conscious of our words."
Verstappen's position has been to give only short replies to questions in FIA organised news conferences since the incident in Singapore last month and speak more fully to reporters in his team's hospitality area.
The Dutch driver, who was ordered to do "work of public interest" for using a swear word to describe his car, indicated he would continue to meet reporters in the paddock.
"I mean, I will speak," he said. "But this table works well."
Verstappen said he had heard no more from the FIA about his punishment.
"I am always open for a chat. But from my side at the moment it is not that I am the one who has to reach out with this stuff.
"I just live my life. I just continue, nothing changes," he said when asked about a possible dialogue with FIA head Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
"I'm not aggressive or whatever. I'm just living my life and when I don't agree with something I'll say it but that's it."
