Formula 1 is back this week, with the United States Grand Prix.
After a three-week break, the grid returns to life with the first of three straight races that will see the grid go from Austin to Mexico City, and finally to São Paulo.
As the grid roars back to life, the main question facing the sport is this:
Can Lando Norris catch Max Verstappen?
At the moment the three-time champion holds a 52-point lead over Norris, but momentum appears to be on the McLaren driver’s side. Norris has won two of the last four races — the Dutch Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix — and both of those wins have come since Verstappen’s last victory, which came at the Spanish Grand Prix back in June.
In fact, McLaren has won three of the last four Grands Prix, with Oscar Piastri taking the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
That momentum has many inside the sport, such as former Haas team Guenther Steiner, picking Norris to catch Verstappen for the Drivers’ Championship before the season is over.
Can Norris catch Verstappen? This weekend’s United States Grand Prix may be a critical test for Verstappen and Red Bull in this fight. As the defending Constructors’ champions have struggled over recent race weekends many with the team, such as senior advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, have pointed to the Circuit of the Americas as the moment Red Bull will learn if their RB20 can deliver on some promised upgrades, and the team can deliver a last stand.
The fight between Norris and Verstappen leads the storylines but is not the only one to watch this weekend in Texas.
Can McLaren pull away in the Constructors’ Championship?
Following the British Grand Prix in July, won by Lewis Hamilton in emotional fashion, McLaren found themselves sitting third in the Constructors’ Championship, looking up at both Ferrari in second, and Red Bull atop the standings.
They head to Austin leading the Constructors’ Championship, holding a 41-point lead over Red Bull at the moment.
As outlined above, McLaren might be the hottest team in the sport right now. Between Piastri and Norris they have won three of the last four Grands Prix, and the last race weekend that did not see at least one of their drivers on the podium was the Japanese Grand Prix, back in April.
The Woking-based operation arrives in Austin with the wind at its back, having rocketed up the standings in recent weeks. But while it is Red Bull behind them in second, they might also have to worry about Ferrari sitting behind them in third. Charles Leclerc’s win in Monza brought the Scuderia back into the fight, and they might yet have a say in this title race.
Liam Lawson’s return … and Daniel Ricciardo’s absence
While the grid was silent these past three weeks, there was still a story that sent loud shockwaves through the sport.
Red Bull decided to make a change at Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, benching Daniel Ricciardo and replacing him with Liam Lawson for the remainder of the season. The move brought to an end Ricciardo’s dream of a “fairytale” ending, a return to Red Bull after his surprising decision to leave the team for Renault following the 2018 F1 season.
Lawson filled in admirably for Ricciardo last year when the Australian driver’s surprise return to the grid was cut short due to injury. In five races with AlphaTauri last season Lawson impressed many within the sport and delivered an impressive ninth-place finish at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
While Lawson’s return probably gives him an inside track to the seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda at VCARB for 2025, the organization has not yet confirmed its lineup for next season. This week likely beings Lawson’s six-Grand Prix tryout for that spot.
As for Ricciardo, the United States Grand Prix might not be the same without him. After all, this is a driver who arrived in the paddock back in 2022 as only Daniel Ricciardo would:
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25675817/1244101339.jpg)
Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images The Sauber seat goes to … ?
Putting the seat alongside Tsunoda at VCARB aside, one other spot on the grid for 2025 remains outstanding.
The seat at Sauber alongside Nico Hülkenberg.
Earlier this season the organization announced that Hülkenberg would join the team on a multi-year deal, ahead of Sauber becoming the Audi works operation in the 2026 season. That gives the German-based manufacturer a German driver in the lineup for 2026.
Could they be eying another?
Mattia Binotto, retained over the summer to run the Audi operation, confirmed recently that Mick Schumacher was one of the drivers under consideration by the team to drive alongside Hülkenberg. Schumacher would bring a combination of youth — he will not turn 26 until next March — and experience to the team, given his years driving at Haas full-time.
Still, Schumacher is not the only young driver under consideration. Franco Colapinto’s performance since taking over for Logan Sargeant at Williams has certainly attracted attention, as has Gabriel Bortoleto’s performance in F2 this year, as he leads that championship with two race weekends remaining.
Then of course there is Valtteri Bottas, who currently occupies one of those seats at Sauber. During the three-week fall break rumors were flying about Bottas being close to signing a new deal with Sauber, and while pen has yet to be put to paper, some media outlets believe that a Bottas deal will be announced this week.
Is this the week we finally learn who gets that second seat at Sauber for 2025?
Franco Colapinto’s star continues to rise
Speaking of the young Argentinian driver …
In three races with Williams since replacing Logan Sargeant, all Franco Colapinto has done is finish in P12 in his debut, P11 the last time out at the Singapore Grand Prix, and an astonishing P8 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, his first driving on the difficult Baku City Circuit at any level.
Colapinto’s performance has James Vowles vowing that he will try and find a spot for him on the grid next year, given that Williams’ 2025 lineup is set between Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz Jr. Whether Vowles succeeds in that quest remains to be seen — and we might get news on that front from Sauber this week — Colapinto’s star turn is perhaps the most exciting story to track over the rest of the season.
Toyota is back in Formula 1
Liam Lawson’s promotion from reserve driver to a spot at VCARB for the rest of the season was not the only news to hit the F1 grid during the break.
Last week Haas announced a new technical partnership with TOYOTA GAZOO, the motorsport division of Toyota. This sees the legendary manufacturer return to F1 in a limited capacity, after departing the sport following the 2009 season. Under the terms of the technical partnership Haas will receive design, technical, and manufacturing services from TGR, while Haas will provide an opportunity for TGR’s drivers, engineers, and staff to experience life in F1.
In addition, Haas’ current deal with Ferrari, under which Haas utilizes Ferrari power units, remains in place.
TOYOTA GAZOO branding will also appear on Haas’ race cars, starting this weekend at the United States Grand Prix.
Be advised, Haas is not done making news ahead of their three home races, as F1’s lone American team. You might just have to wait a short period of time — depending on when you are reading this — for their next bit of business to be announced …
SB Nation on the ground
The final storyline?
SB Nation is headed to Austin this week for the United States Grand Prix. I’ll be down there for the entire week, so expect wall-to-wall coverage this week. If you are down in Austin, do say hello!
