The Milton Keynes team, which has not celebrated this award since 2013, has a wide lead of 165 points over Ferrari with Sunday’s race remaining and three others on the 2022 calendar (Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi). Red Bull’s achievements, however, have been overshadowed in recent days by accusations that it exceeded the authorized budget limit last season, which the International Automobile Federation (FIA) considered a “minor violation” of the regulations. . The FIA has not yet ruled on the sanctions that the team could receive, which range from a simple reprimand or an economic fine to exclusion from the championship, through the withdrawal of points from the drivers’ and constructors’ championship.
McLaren boss Zak Brown has urged the body to take a tough line on the infringement. In a letter to the FIA, Brown said Red Bull had benefited from an “unfair advantage” as a result of “cheating”, for which he claimed “financial and sporting sanctions”. Red Bull finished second in the constructors’ standings in 2021, behind Mercedes.
“Czech” for second place
In addition to the battle between the teams, the Circuit of the Americas, 5,513 km long, will also experience the fight between Red Bull and Ferrari drivers to occupy second place in the World Championship after Verstappen. That place is currently held by the Mexican Sergio Pérez, teammate of the Dutchman, but with only one point of advantage over the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, from Ferrari. The Spanish Carlos Sainz, Jr., the other driver of the Italian team, is in fifth position behind ‘Checo’ Pérez, who separates him by 51 points, his teammate Leclerc and the British George Rusell (Mercedes). In sixth place is the also British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), seven times world champion, who continues to aspire to inaugurate his record in 2022. In Austin, where he chained victories between 2014 and 2017, Hamilton hopes to take advantage of the new aerodynamic system more lightweight that Mercedes will introduce.
Verstappen and the records
Verstappen, for his part, is not satisfied with enjoying his anticipated victory in the World Cup but wants to write more pages of history. The Dutchman, who won last year in Austin ahead of Hamilton and Pérez, has in his hands to match the record of 13 victories in one year, which is still held by the Germans Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013).
Verstappen, however, is favored by this season’s schedule, which includes 22 Grands Prix, over the 18 in 2004 and the 19 in 2013. 25-year-old ‘Mad Max’ also wants to accelerate towards the points record in a championship. For now he has 366 units, 47 less than what Hamilton achieved in the 21 races of 2019.
In Austin, Verstappen will wear a helmet personalized with the stars of the United States flag, a reference also present in Williams single-seaters. It is a way to celebrate Austin’s ten years of presence on the calendar and the drive of Formula 1 in the United States, where he opened the Miami (Florida) Grand Prix in May and will land in Las Vegas (Nevada) in 2023.