IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2024 United States Grand Prix

A full four weeks after the last race in Singapore, it’s time to get back down to business as the final quarter of the 2024 season is ready to get underway. With an ever-closer championship battle and a returning face on the grid, here are a few topics that are likely to be talking points as the paddock reconvenes in Austin...

Resuming the title battle

When the summer break ended, Lando Norris had a 78-point deficit to try and close to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, and the McLaren driver duly outscored the leader at each of the four races that followed.

TIMELINE: How McLaren went from the back of the F1 grid to the front in under two years

Dominant victories in Zandvoort and Singapore for Norris were well-managed by Verstappen as the Dutchman was runner-up on each occasion to limit the damage, while in Monza there was also an eight-point swing despite Norris only finishing third. Baku was the smallest gain – Norris cutting the lead by just three points – but it has been a steady run in favor of the chasing driver since August.

The upcoming round at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) could be crucial given the upgrades that are set to be introduced (more on those later), but also because it’s a Sprint event that offers a further eight points up to the winner. Theoretically, there could be a swing as big as 34 points this weekend.

Another gain for Norris would significantly increase the chances of the title battle going all the way to the final round in Abu Dhabi, but Verstappen could strengthen his grip on the championship if he manages to stop the McLaren momentum that has been building since the summer break.

READ MORE: From Stewart and Lotus to Hakkinen and Ferrari – All 11 times the drivers’ and constructors’ titles were shared between rival teams

Lawson returns after Ricciardo is replaced

Singapore was a significant race for a former team mate of both Verstappen and Norris, as Daniel Ricciardo made what looks likely to be his final start in Formula 1.

The popular Australian has been replaced by Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson for the rest of the season, with Lawson getting a chance to try and secure a full-time seat in 2025 after his impressive substitute performances towards the end of last season.

Five strong outings for Lawson in 2023 ended when Ricciardo was able to return from a broken hand at COTA, so the New Zealander will be making his first appearance on the Texas track and looking to get comfortable with a car he hasn’t raced this year.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told the F1 Nation podcast during the gap in races that Lawson’s promotion has been made with an eye on the future, understanding what his team’s options are in case it requires a replacement for Sergio Perez at any stage.

So the stakes are high for Lawson as he looks to match-up with team mate Yuki Tsunoda, and he’ll need to get back up to speed quickly due to the Sprint schedule.

READ MORE: Lawson admits there will be a ‘mountain to climb’ on his F1 return as he explains challenges he’ll face in Austin

Upgrades galore ahead of the run-in

This weekend’s race in Austin kicks off a run of six races in eight weeks, with two triple headers separated by a two-week gap between Brazil and Las Vegas.

Although we are in the middle of October, that still means there is a quarter of the season to go, and the schedule includes three Sprint events at COTA, Interlagos and Qatar’s Lusail circuit. So there is certainly value for teams to bring new parts to their cars even this late in the year.

Despite there only being one practice session as part of the Sprint format, many of the design departments have been targeting Austin because the four-week gap between races allowed manufacturing time without a risk of more spare parts being needed. Plus they will get to use that extra performance in six Grands Prix and three Sprints if they bring new components this weekend.

The majority of teams are expected to bring upgrades, and from a championship perspective it could prove crucial. As referenced above, if McLaren can maintain an advantage over Red Bull in Austin then they have every chance of doing so across the remainder of the season and Norris’ title hopes will receive a boost.

But if Red Bull find solutions to the handling issues that have become more prominent in recent races and return to winning ways, then both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships could be staying in Milton Keynes.

READ MORE: Norris vs Verstappen, intriguing storylines and a new winner – Our writers share their predictions for the final six races of the season

Still space in the driver market

Lawson’s return to the RB team only firms up that seat for the rest of this season, with Red Bull yet to confirm who will partner Tsunoda in 2025. It very much feels like Lawson’s seat to lose now, but if Sergio Perez struggles to consistently perform over the final six races, Horner has hinted there’s a chance there could be a change alongside Verstappen too.

Whatever happens between the Red Bull and RB seats, though, there is still a vacancy on the grid for next season at Sauber. Nico Hulkenberg is already confirmed on a deal that will see him join in 2025 and remain in place as Sauber transition into becoming the Audi factory team, but his team mate is unknown.

Valtteri Bottas remains a strong option but Zhou Guanyu hasn’t been ruled out, and Sauber have also been considering rookie options including Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto.

As the last team outside of the Red Bull set-up to confirm their driver line-up for next year, Sauber can take their time before finalizing their plans, but race weekends often speed up the process with the majority of the main contenders in the same place.

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A huge event on and off track

Austin has been the home of the United States Grand Prix since 2012 and in that time has grown to be one of the biggest races on the calendar.

Attendance numbers over the race weekend have been getting close to half a million in recent years and look set to be the same this time around, with massive concerts from Sting and Eminem planned and the city also hosting a major college football game on Saturday too.

The Sprint ensures there will be competitive action for fans to watch on all three days from Friday onwards, and the COTA circuit has provided some thrilling races in recent years. With the next installment of the championship battle and an extremely close midfield fight, there’s every chance of a repeat come lights out on Sunday.