Sahara Force India F1 Team Chief Race Engineer, Tom McCullough, says the layout of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track is one that pushes the car to its limits, whilst its switch between low, medium and high-speed corners make it a tricky place for the squad to find the optimum set-up.
“The Circuit of the Americas is one of the few anti-clockwise circuits and is a real test for the car: with its mix of low, medium and high-speed corners, finding the perfect set-up is a challenge.
“There is a significant gradient in several parts of the circuit and especially in the steep uphill run-up to the braking zone in turn one.”
McCullough tips sector one as the best spot to watch the action at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix. It is a favourite section of the track for many drivers, and one that should be awesome to drive in the 2017 spec cars.
Credit: Sahara Force India F1 Team
“The first sector winds through multiple changes of direction at high speed, in a way that is reminiscent of Suzuka’s first sector: it’s a part of the track the drivers love and it will be particularly interesting to see this year’s cars on it.”
According to McCullough, the bumpiness of the asphalt gets greater season on season, making it a nightmare for the team when it comes to selecting the correct ride height to run at COTA.
“With each passing year, the track has become more of a challenge when it comes to ride, so it will be interesting to see how bumpy the track surface is going to be this year.”
