Returned to June after last year's football World Cup displaced it into the heart of the summer, the United States Grand completes the mid-season transatlantic leg of
Formula One's schedule.
Although it clashes with the Le Mans 24 Hours, the grand prix will remain a major draw following events in Canada last weekend, even if the bulk of its following comes from outside the country that it takes place in. America remains retiscent to embrace Formula One the way it does NASCAR, and the spectre of the 2005 grand prix still hangs over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, despite a largely successful event last season. The US still has not got a driver in a leading car and doubts over
Scott Speed's position pre-season will not have helped. However, ticket sales are reported to be brisk, with fans from around the world travelling to the Brickyard to see the next instalment in the
Lewis Hamilton story.
Situated in the midst of the fabled oval, the USGP course is not the most testing, but provides the contrast of high speeds on the straight and banking and a tight, fiddly infield with which to test handling. The team that can get the right balance between the two will be well set on Sunday.
FIA F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS
The new face of motorsport – particularly in Britain where that beaming face graced the front of the majority of Monday newspapers -, Lewis Hamilton now visits the next stop on his journey of unknown territory with a skip across the border to the United States and Indianapolis.
However, any fears it will be a steep learning curve for the star rookie must surely be eased after his performance in Canada, a weekend that showed getting quickly on the pace is just another of the young Brit’s immense talents.
