STRATEGY GUIDE: What are the tactical options for the United States Grand Prix?

Saturday was a red-letter day for Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen with a Sprint victory and a seemingly-comfortable three-tenths advantage in Qualifying.

Looking at the raw numbers, the Dutchman, with his shadow increasingly looming over the Drivers’ Championship, looks a good bet to add a fourth US Grand Prix victory on Sunday afternoon… but is everything quite as it seems?

Max has been playing down his chances, pointing to McLaren’s strong long-run pace and the high temperatures expected to suit his rivals in Papaya. We’ve had hot track temperatures before at the Circuit of the Americas, but nothing quite this hot, and that’s going to play a part, as is Pirelli’s decision to introduce a compound bridge this year between the hard and medium tyres.