What to expect from the 2023 F1 United States Grand Prix

The 18th round of the Formula 1 seasonn takes place this weekend, with the Circuit of the Americas hosting the United States Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen claimed his third title last time out in Qatar with the championship coming during the Sprint race on Saturday.

The F1 Sprint format will return for the coming weekend in the USA, the fifth and penultimate time it will be used this year.

Last year, Verstappen had an exciting tussle with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton for the race win, while the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz collided with George Russell on the opening lap.

But what should we expect this year from the 11th visit to COTA?

Ricciardo's return

After sitting five races on the sidelines as he recovered from a hand injury, Daniel Ricciardo will be back behind the wheel this weekend at AlphaTauri.

The Australian suffered a metacarpal fracture during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix which ruled him out of the following rounds.

Liam Lawson replaced Ricciardo for the events, but the rookie's tenure at the Red Bull sister squad came to an end following last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix.

With Ricciardo now fit enough to compete once again, the 34-year-old will aim to star at the final rounds as he prepares for a full season on the grid next year, with AlphaTauri already confirming his spot.

However, he will have a challenge on his hands as he attempts to get back up to speed during a sprint weekend, with little practice time being offered before he is thrown into the competitive sessions.

Hot and bothered drivers

One of the biggest talking points from the Qatar Grand Prix almost two weeks ago was the fatigued drivers at the end of the race.

The temperature, mixed with the fast tempo of the race around a circuit with high-speed corners, resulted in a number of drivers being physically exhausted after the chequered flag.

While no such extremities are expected this weekend, the heat is still set to challenge the drivers.

The air temperature while the sessions will take place is expected to be over 30 degrees Celcius.

This will pose the biggest challenge during Sunday's Grand Prix, but with much slower speed corners at COTA compared to Qatar, the drivers will not be subject to as extreme a physical challenge.

However, the hot weather will be enough to make them break sweat and threaten to damage concentration.

Haas' new direction

Haas has been in “survival” mode for the last handful of races, according to Kevin Magnussen, but this weekend sparks a new direction for the team.

The VF-23 will be fitted with a substantial update that hopes to offer a boost of speed as the battle for seventh in the Constructors' Championship heats up.

Beyond an advantage for the upcoming weekend, Haas is hopeful that the new parts will offer it learnings to take into next season and aid the challenger currently being constructed at its factory.

Haas is a team that has been wallowing at the lower end of the pecking order for a number of years.

With its upgrades at COTA, it starts a new direction, much to the excitement of the team.