Toto Wolff: Malaysia and Singapore were difficult weekends for us and we have worked hard to understand where we fell short.

Austin gives us an opportunity to respond. We will run our latest update package on both cars as we continue to develop the car. The field is incredibly close, so we need to keep moving forward if we want to fight consistently at the front in the closing stages of the season.

The United States Grand Prix begins another demanding triple-header. There is plenty at stake, but we won't get ahead of ourselves. The priority is the weekend in front of us: execute well, maximise our performance and take each race as it comes.

Austin will also be an important weekend for us off track, with a number of commercial activities taking place across the city. At the heart of that will be AMG and the MANUFAKTUR takeover, bringing to life the performance, craftsmanship and individuality of the wider Mercedes family throughout the weekend. We are looking forward to showcasing that and, ultimately, delivering where it matters most: on track.

Third Driver Insight with Frederik Vesti

Austin always delivers a fantastic atmosphere, with an incredible fanbase that I can't wait to see at our Fan Hub activation downtown, and some great racing. The Circuit of The Americas is a unique challenge for both the drivers and the team. The track surface is notoriously bumpy, which makes it difficult to find the right balance with the car and manage tyre performance over a lap and across a stint. Getting the setup right is crucial, and that's why we spend so much time preparing in the simulator before the weekend.

Sector one is one of the most exciting sequences. You climb steeply into Turn One before dropping into a series of fast, flowing corners where the car is pushed right to its limits. It's incredibly rewarding when you get it right, but it's also very easy to make a mistake and run wide.

Overall, it's an awesome circuit to drive, with a great mix of technical challenges and overtaking opportunities that usually produces exciting racing.

Facts & Figures

• This year's United States Grand Prix will follow the usual race weekend format after three years of holding a Sprint weekend.

• The incline from the starting grid to the apex at Turn One is 134 feet, one of the highest elevation changes on the whole F1 calendar.

• Mercedes has recorded four 1-2 finishes at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, more than any other team.

• Lewis Hamilton remains the most successful driver at COTA, with five victories in Austin, including four consecutive wins between 2014 and 2017. Lewis also clinched his third (2015) and sixth (2019) F1 titles at the track while with the team.

• COTA has been the home of the United States Grand Prix since 2012.