Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s disqualifications ultimately meant their teams’ tactical errors cost them nothing.
Nonetheless, Mercedes and Ferrari will be eager to avoid a repeat of the strategic mistakes they committed during the United States Grand Prix.Both teams compromised their drivers’ performances by leaning towards a one-stop strategy. Leclerc committed to it, while Hamilton bailed out and switched to a two-stop, though too late to avoid some damage to his afternoon.
It was an especially frustrating afternoon for Leclerc, who started from pole position but took the chequered flag in a lowly sixth.
Ferrari have tended to suffer more from tyre degradation than their rivals during races this year, which made their decision to commit to a one-stop strategy more surprising. By lap 13 Carlos Sainz Jnr’s lap times had dropped over half a second off Leclerc’s and he ended up switching to a two-stop strategy.
Like Mercedes, Ferrari began the race unsure what the optimal strategy would be. “We didn’t have a clear picture about this before the race,” said Vasseur. “We were a bit hesitating into the first stint pushing, or not pushing that. And we made a mistake.”
Among the front runners, Max Verstappen came in on lap 16, Sainz the next time by along with Lando Norris and the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
Leclerc and the Mercedes drivers pressed on. His pace was slightly better than that of Hamilton and George Russell, who abandoned their one-stop plans, but Ferrari reached the point where they felt it was no longer worth converting Leclerc to a two-stop strategy.
“If you do six, seven laps more and everybody is one second faster than, you are losing four or five positions on track, and I think the outcome would have been the same,” explained Vasseur.
That lost time hit Leclerc at the end of the race as first Sainz then Perez came past him. When the chequered flag dropped, the one-stopping Ferrari was nearly beaten to it by Russell, who finished just three-tenths of a second behind Leclerc after his belated switch to a two-stop strategy.
Unlike Ferrari, Mercedes began the race planning to pit twice. But as the race unfolded they team realised they were tantalisingly close to being able to make a one-stop strategy work.What caught them out was the rate at which their tyre performance dropped off from lap 19. “The strategy was a two-stop but we said if we’re able to go lap 18, 19, then one-stop was was on. I think when Max pitted, we had another three or four laps to cover only to make a one-stop stick.
“But then the lap times just fell away massively from us and we had to pit that the worst of all times, not optimised for one-stop, not optimised for two stop, and that wasn’t helpful.”
Unlike Ferrari with Leclerc, Mercedes salvaged a better result by abandoning the one-stop strategy when they realised it wouldn’t work. Unluckily for the pole-winner, his lap times were a little bit better at that stage, giving Ferrari undue confidence in his doomed strategy. No other driver completed the race on a single stop.
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2023 United States Grand Prix lap chart
The positions of each driver on every lap. Click name to highlight, right-click to reset. Toggle drivers using controls below:
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2023 United States Grand Prix race chart
The gaps between each driver on every lap compared to the leader’s average lap time. Very large gaps omitted. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and right-click to reset. Toggle drivers using controls below:
2023 United States Grand Prix lap times
All the lap times by the drivers (in seconds, very slow laps excluded). Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and toggle drivers using the control below:
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2023 United States Grand Prix fastest laps
Each driver’s fastest lap:
| Rank | # | Driver | Car | Lap time | Gap | Avg. speed (kph) | Lap no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | 1’38.139 | 202.23 | 56 | |
| 2 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | 1’39.366 | 1.227 | 199.73 | 49 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’39.393 | 1.254 | 199.68 | 48 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’39.582 | 1.443 | 199.3 | 42 |
| 5 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’39.737 | 1.598 | 198.99 | 40 |
| 6 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’39.908 | 1.769 | 198.65 | 48 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’39.954 | 1.815 | 198.56 | 47 |
| 8 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’39.985 | 1.846 | 198.5 | 39 |
| 9 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’40.028 | 1.889 | 198.41 | 40 |
| 10 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 1’40.034 | 1.895 | 198.4 | 51 |
| 11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | 1’40.412 | 2.273 | 197.65 | 47 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | 1’40.925 | 2.786 | 196.65 | 45 |
| 13 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’41.025 | 2.886 | 196.45 | 38 |
| 14 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | 1’41.238 | 3.099 | 196.04 | 34 |
| 15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’41.318 | 3.179 | 195.89 | 48 |
| 16 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’41.506 | 3.367 | 195.52 | 41 |
| 17 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’41.879 | 3.740 | 194.81 | 51 |
| 18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’41.972 | 3.833 | 194.63 | 54 |
| 19 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’42.705 | 4.566 | 193.24 | 5 |
| 20 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1’44.789 | 6.650 | 189.4 | 2 |
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2023 United States Grand Prix tyre strategies
The tyre strategies for each driver:
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2023 United States Grand Prix pit stop times
How long each driver’s pit stops took:
| Rank | # | Driver | Team | Complete stop time (s) | Gap to best (s) | Stop no. | Lap no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 23.361 | 2 | 34 | |
| 2 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 23.472 | 0.111 | 3 | 54 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 23.668 | 0.307 | 1 | 17 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 23.673 | 0.312 | 2 | 35 |
| 5 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 23.747 | 0.386 | 2 | 37 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 23.756 | 0.395 | 1 | 16 |
| 7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 23.9 | 0.539 | 1 | 18 |
| 8 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 23.955 | 0.594 | 2 | 40 |
| 9 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 23.963 | 0.602 | 1 | 23 |
| 10 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 23.969 | 0.608 | 2 | 39 |
| 11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 24.125 | 0.764 | 2 | 34 |
| 12 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 24.155 | 0.794 | 1 | 17 |
| 13 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 24.245 | 0.884 | 1 | 17 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 24.308 | 0.947 | 2 | 34 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 24.354 | 0.993 | 1 | 17 |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 24.354 | 0.993 | 2 | 29 |
| 17 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 24.357 | 0.996 | 1 | 21 |
| 18 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri | 24.364 | 1.003 | 1 | 22 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 24.457 | 1.096 | 1 | 20 |
| 20 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 24.563 | 1.202 | 1 | 10 |
| 21 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 24.648 | 1.287 | 2 | 38 |
| 22 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 24.717 | 1.356 | 2 | 27 |
| 23 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 24.745 | 1.384 | 2 | 29 |
| 24 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 24.783 | 1.422 | 1 | 10 |
| 25 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 24.823 | 1.462 | 2 | 42 |
| 26 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 24.88 | 1.519 | 2 | 37 |
| 27 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 24.916 | 1.555 | 1 | 20 |
| 28 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 24.974 | 1.613 | 2 | 35 |
| 29 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 24.99 | 1.629 | 1 | 11 |
| 30 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 25.02 | 1.659 | 2 | 28 |
| 31 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 25.055 | 1.694 | 1 | 19 |
| 32 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 25.067 | 1.706 | 1 | 10 |
| 33 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 25.547 | 2.186 | 2 | 32 |
| 34 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 25.636 | 2.275 | 1 | 9 |
| 35 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri | 26.513 | 3.152 | 2 | 47 |
| 36 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 26.573 | 3.212 | 1 | 19 |
2023 United States Grand Prix
- US GP was Mercedes’ best race of 2023 despite disqualification – Wolff
- Singapore and Austin retirements cost me top 10 championship place – Ocon
- United States Grand Prix result unchanged as FIA rejects Haas’ call for review
- Sargeant admits he’s ‘struggled to use all the downforce at times’ in F1
- Mercedes’ Brazilian GP set-up was “conservative” after US GP disqualification
lucklucky
24th October 2023, 15:13
Ferrari are still making unreasonable excuses.
Their car have always been much less performing in hard tire then medium and in many circuits and not only to Ferrari the hard tire seems to not have much different track laps significant loss of performance than medium and sometimes even inferior to them.
Zann (@zann)
24th October 2023, 19:31
I have an idea the team at Mercedes that they replaced James with isn’t as good with data and then directly a decision from it. I mean if it was me I’d have been looking at the slip and g data corner by corner and plotting the curve and seen quicker than that how non linear it was. But it’s like they had a discussion about whole sector or even lap times
F1 Codger
24th October 2023, 21:13
All Sunday races should have compulsory 4 tyre changes, the last time this happened the cars were flat out all the way just like racing should be, no tyre saving or coasting. They can fit new tyres or used tyres so the tyre supplier need not produce more tyres than previously.
Coventry Climax
24th October 2023, 21:48
How about just having tyres that support and endure flat out racing for more than 4 laps, say 25 laps.
That means the tyre supplier can actually manufacture and bring less tyres.
However, it takes more managing to get rid of than just tyres to have real flat out racing again. There’s also fuel managing and electric power managing, for instance.
melanos
24th October 2023, 22:29
If you ask me: tyres that last the whole race flat out, at least the hard ones, and no compulsory pitstop. Then, changing to faster soft tyres which may not last that long would be a meter of choice. I find the MotoGP races highly enjoyable without the need to change tyres.
melanos
24th October 2023, 22:30
A *matter* of choice
MacLeod (@macleod)
25th October 2023, 8:04
They use the bad tyres to get the field together otherwise the race will end as it starts (excluded racing accidents) which would be very boring to watch.
MotoGP is in this case very boring but they are nimble and the one who saves his tyres is the one wining in the end. I was a fan of Jumping Jack MIddelburg (1975-1984) and sometimes i watch races where Rossi won…..
Changing gears for a more topspeed or getting faster from a corner those were the times :)
slowmo (@slowmo)
25th October 2023, 10:34
I do think Mercedes left Hamilton out a lap or two later than they should but there is some mitigating factors at play that mean the choice isn’t as simple as people frequently make out. Had there been a safety car or VSC for example in the laps where Hamilton had created a offset or indeed in the first stops after Norris and Verstappen pitted then he could have ended up in a prime position to win.
Had there been a safety car after the second round of stops that gathered the pack up then Hamilton on his Medium tyres would have likely easily taken both Norris and Verstappen too and made their tyre strategy choices look bad. The MHM taken by Hamilton was a better strategy than either Norris or Verstappen, the only issue was he lost 3s more in the pitstops than his competitors and leaving him out slightly too long in stint one meant he cost himself a few extra seconds due to lap time and running wide.
Prior to the race, nobody knew Verstappen would be nursing a car issue so in normal circumstances he’d have been down the road and gone and Mercedes were right to focus their strategy on beating Norris first and foremost which they did (before the penalty). I personally thought Mercedes strategy was a bit too low risk but I don’t think it was a outright mistake like Ferrari’s with Leclerc.