Track designer Hermann Tilke is hoping his latest creation, the Circuit of the America, will be an "interesting" and "challenging" venue...
Five years after F1 last raced in America, the sport is back, this time at the new CoTA track in Austin, Texas.
Like many venues on the calendar it has been designed by Tilke, who reckons the layout and undulations of the circuit will prove favourable.
"I think there are some real difficult parts of this track, and hopefully it will be one of the most challenging," Tilke told Autosport.
"Turn 1 goes steeply uphill and then the elevation turns sharply into a downhill sector, so the drivers will not see the apex of the corner. It will be blind.
"I expect in first practice the drivers will make many mistakes, but they are so good they will learn it quickly because they are the best in the world.
"After Turn 1 there is a 'snake' section, which is very fast and orientation will be difficult for the drivers. The track also goes up and down, and there is also one corner which is banked the wrong way [adverse camber].
"For the drivers it will be hard, it will be difficult to set up the car and it will be tough to keep the tyres running correctly too. That could mean there are more problems with the tyres, which will be good for the race."
Tilke also believes the CoTA track will offer "opportunities" to pass, however, warns that it is not just the track that plays a role in overtaking.
"This year they had a lot of overtaking at Abu Dhabi, and there are opportunities to overtake here.
"In the end overtaking is only possible when a faster driver is behind a slower driver. If it is the opposite then overtaking is not possible.
"If the faster driver is leading and the second driver is slower then overtaking will not happen. But that is the drama of a race and hopefully it will be interesting here."
Related Links
Gallery: Circuit of the Americas
