United States Grand Prix weather: What is the risk of rain at COTA this weekend?
More often than not, heat is the overriding weather characteristic at COTA.
AUSTIN – F1 heads back to Texas for the United States Grand Prix this weekend with the early weather forecast looking like a warm weekend in Austin.
The Circuit of The Americas has grown into a driver and fan favourite over the years and is now firmly established as the home of the United States Grand Prix, having first hosted Formula 1 in 2012.
F1 United States weather: What is the forecast for the weekend in Austin?
Friday 23 October [FP1, FP2]
Mild overnight temperatures are set to quickly climb up to around 26°C by the time FP1 takes place, with a bright, sunny forecast in place with only a slight breeze.
FP2 is due to have temperatures climb even further, up to around 29°C. This has resulted in a prediction of track temperatures reaching up to 55°C, which will offer the teams a significant test of tyre life.
Saturday 24 October [FP3, qualifying]
It is due to be a similar story on Saturday in Austin, with temperatures climbing all the way through FP3 and into qualifying for a daily high of 30°C.
The difference comes as there is potential for it to cloud over during the day, though track temperatures will remain high with a 0% chance of rain listed, and mild breezes of around 10mph.
Sunday 25 October [United States Grand Prix]
Race day looks likely to continue to bring the heat to the weekend, with another daily high of 30°C expected for the time of lights out in Austin.
Early forecasts indicate a potential storm system across the Central U.S. Plains, increasing potential for wind up to approximately 35kph. The likelihood of rain remains low, however, listed at around 20% ahead of the weekend.
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How has the weather been at previous United States Grands Prix?
Most of the races held at the Circuit of The Americas have taken place in dry conditions through the weekend, with only a few exceptions to this.
Tyre management is often a hot topic of conversation around COTA, with track temperatures climbing and the tough layout able to create graining.
In a rare example of wet weather, heavy rain hit the track on qualifying day in 2015, so much so that the session was postponed entirely and moved until the morning of race Sunday.
Even then, wet conditions ensued through the session and, with drivers aquaplaning and spinning out of contention, Q3 was cancelled, meaning the results from Q2 were used to determine the grid on the day.
The race also proved tough to navigate, with eight drivers retiring and Lewis Hamilton taking victory for Mercedes. Those with a long enough memory will also remember this race for Hamilton throwing his teammate, Nico Rosberg, his cap for the podium ceremony, with the visibly frustrated German throwing it back in his direction. He dismissed it, though, as “just our typical games.”
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