2015 Track Preview; United States Grand Prix, Austin

As we head to Austin for the United States Grand Prix this weekend, Pirelli have selected the P Zero medium and soft P Zero tyres from their range for this weekend's race at the Circuit of the Americas racetrack.

Inaugurated into the sport in 2012, the Circuit of the Americas is the 10th venue to have hosted a Formula One grand prix in the United States and it has proved to be extremely popular since its inception.

The track is well known and liked by the teams, drivers and the fans for its spectacular elevation changes of up to 40 metres, with an uphill run to the distinctive Turn 1; which is a hairpin bend and the signature corner.

The track contains an ample variety of corners, which incorporate some of the best elements from other circuits, making it a wide-ranging challenge that tests every aspect of tyre performance. In total there are 20 quite varied corners, including a tricky uphill braking area for the unusual turn one (the highest point of the track), giving the anticlockwise circuit a distinctly different feel for the drivers.

The track limits are deliberately wide at the corners, in order to encourage different lines and provide opportunities for overtaking.

The track configuration and tyre choice offer plenty of opportunities for overtaking and strategy, with a reasonably short pit lane time loss too, so we could be on for quite an unpredictable race, which is what people want to see happening during the race on Sunday.

There are three long straights that tend to cool down the tyres, making the braking areas critical, as tyre temperature will have dropped slightly as a result. This also then affects the turn-in into fast corners, as the compound has to get back up to temperature very quickly. In the past, track temperatures have varied from 18 to 37 degrees centigrade within one day, making tyre temperature management a vital skill.

The set-up tends to be medium downforce with an emphasis on mechanical grip from the tyres; especially at the front to aid a rapid turn-in during the fast direction changes that characterise the first half of the lap. There is roughly 60% full throttle and 10 braking events: about average for the season.

Let's not forget to mention that the weather is also equally variable, with warm conditions common during the afternoon but frequently cool temperatures in the mornings; making it reasonably hard to get an accurate read on track conditions that could affect the performances of teams and also their drivers.

With the driver's championship entering a decisive phase there's obviously going to be a lot of attention on the race and seeing if Lewis Hamilton can secure his third title at a track that he enjoys and has a good track record on too.

Here are the facts and figures going into this race weekend in Austin.

Facts and Figures

•The United States has hosted the Grand Prix on and off since 1908.
•Austin has hosted the Grand Prix since 2012.
•Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver with five wins.
•Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver currently at the track with two wins.
•McLaren is the most successful constructor to win the Grand Prix with two wins.
•Race distance: 308.89km (191.94 miles)
•Number of turns: 20
•Top speed: 317kph
•Lap record: Sebastian Vettel- Red Bull (2012)- 1.39.347

Last five winners of the United States Grand Prix:-
•2006- Michael Schumacher
•2007-Lewis Hamilton
•2012- Lewis Hamilton
•2013-Sebastian Vettel
•2014- Lewis Hamilton

My five things to look out for this weekend

1.Tyre and brake performance- With the track being hard on tyres and also on the performance of the brakes due to the characteristics of the Austin circuit; we could see teams and drivers struggling to get the Pirelli compounds lasting throughout the course of the weekend and also maintain high levels of concentration in the race. Will this impact anyone's race on Sunday as a result?

2.Renault announcing their future plans in F1- With rumours speculating that Renault are in final negotiations with the Lotus F1 team to buy the team outright; will we hear the news that everyone is expecting this weekend or not?

3. Lotus edging closer to signing their second driver for 2016- With rumours circulating this week that the Lotus team are close to signing their second driver to partner Pastor Maldonado for 2016; all eyes will be upon the team to see who they will sign. The two favourites at the moment are test driver Jolyon Palmer and ex-McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen. Question is; which one have they signed?

4. The performance of Raffaele Marciello- With the young Ferrari Academy driver gaining another run in FP1 this weekend in Texas; all eyes will be upon him and he performs in the car. He is currently in eighth place in the GP2 series and has secured some podiums this season and he will want to show just how much has grown since his last run in Silverstone.

5.Performance of the Mercedes drivers- With Mercedes having dominated in Australia, having a “damage limitation” weekends in Malaysia and Hungary and winning in China, Bahrain, Spain, Monaco, Canada, Austria, Silverstone, Spa and Monza and Russia, Mercedes have won the Constructors Championship. But the real question is; will anyone be able to pose a challenge over the course of the weekend once again and be able to take the lead of the Driver's Championship away from Hamilton who could secure it this weekend and keep the Drivers Championship going to the next round in Mexico?

Sky Sports F1 are showing uninterrupted coverage of every Practice session, Qualifying and race for the Grand Prix (and every race of the season) and the BBC also are showing coverage, details for both are below:-

•*Sky Sports F1*:- Friday (Practice 1 and 2) 3.45pm and 7.45pm [Replays throughout Friday], Saturday (Practice 3 and Qualifying) 3.45pm and 6.00pm
[Replays throughout Saturday], Sunday (Race) 5.30pm

•*BBC*- Saturday (Qualifying highlights) 9.45pm, Sunday (Race Highlights) 10.30pm

Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa

Laser cut circuit by Graham and Leigh. www.grahamandleigh.co.uk