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(Reuters) – Max Verstappen will be hoping to celebrate the 50th win of his Formula One career at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin this weekend as the sport kicks off a four-race swing through the Americas.
The Red Bull driver has won for the last two years at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) which this time runs to the sprint format with a race on Saturday before Sunday’s main event.
It will be the first time Formula One has had two sprints in succession, with the race in Texas following on from Qatar.
Verstappen took his 14th win in 17 races and clinched his third world championship at the Lusail circuit but the 26-year-old still has records to set and is not about to let up.
“He wants to win every race, we will see if that’s going to happen,” his father Jos told Reuters when asked about Verstappen’s motivation for the remaining five races.
The Dutch driver overtook triple champion Ayrton Senna’s 41 career wins last June and victory in Austin would set him up to match four-times champion Alain Prost (51) at the following race in Mexico.
If he then also triumphs in the Brazil sprint weekend, he could equal Sebastian Vettel’s 53 at November’s Las Vegas night race before ending in Abu Dhabi as the third most successful driver of all time after Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton (103).
His own 2022 record of 15 wins in a season can be equalled in Austin, the first of three races on successive weekends.
The champion is also on a record run of most laps led in a single season (739 and counting) and should add more at an anti-clockwise and undulating track with a reputation for being bumpy.
Verstappen is not one to get ahead of himself, however.
“It could be quite hectic for us, we only have one session to try and find the optimum balance in the car,” the Dutch driver said of the weekend ahead. “The temperatures look to be high too so I’m expecting another tough race.”
Mexican team mate Sergio Perez will aim to end a run of poor form ahead of what amount to home races.
“I know I have to get back to my best at COTA, it’s a fun circuit to drive and I am confident we can perform there,” said Perez, who can count on strong local support.
McLaren’s Australian rookie Oscar Piastri won the Qatar sprint, but has never raced in Austin, while British team mate Lando Norris celebrates his 100th start in Formula One.
The team have fourth-placed Aston Martin in their sights, with only 11 points between the two.
The battle for second in the constructors’ championship, already won by Red Bull, continues with Mercedes 28 points clear of Ferrari.
Mercedes will be keen also to move on from Qatar, where Hamilton and team mate George Russell collided at the first corner.
“We’ll be bringing a modified floor, which is the last significant update we will take to the track this year,” said team boss Toto Wolff, hoping for at least a small gain.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo will make his return at AlphaTauri, after missing five races as a result of breaking his hand in a crash at the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, while Haas bring a big upgrade for their home race.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge)
