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'Excited To Get Back Racing' - Lewis and George Preview US GP

18 October 2024
8 Min Read

It has been four long weeks since the F1 paddock departed Singapore, but we are oh so close to hearing the sound of those engines again.

The start of an intense triple-header begins this weekend in Austin, with the final six races of the 2024 season in the next eight weeks.

Lewis and George are eager to get back down to business, tucked in tightly to an updated W15.

That excitement of course comes with caution.

"We are excited to get back to racing," said George.

"We have an upgrade, which we hope will be a step, but we acknowledge that McLaren were a second ahead of everyone in Singapore."

Lewis added: "The upgrade should make us faster than Singapore, but we will have to wait and see where that will leave us compared to the others."

Four weeks off may have been tough for the fans and the drivers, but it did allow our team to take a step back and debrief a difficult run of races after the summer break.

A podium for George in Baku was the highlight, but in Singapore a second-row lock-out on Saturday turned into a P4 and P6 points haul.

"We have had time since Singapore to analyse," said Lewis.

"We understand we have veered off course and we hope we can get back on track this weekend."

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George's eyes are looking even further into the future.

"The break has allowed us to assess the car, and that has been very positive to see," he added.

"Next year's car will be an evolution of this year's so we hope the upgrades work as we expect.

"But there are still lots of improvements we will be looking to make for next year's car."

Coming back to 2024, and while progression into the top three in both championships may appear out of reach, the goals and motivation for the next eight weeks remain as strong as ever.

"We want to win races this season," said George.

"I want to end this year on a high and go into 2025 with a car we are confident in. We can definitely fight for those front two rows on a Saturday and a podium on Sunday.

"We have to keep putting ourselves in the position to capitalise on errors up ahead."

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Sport here is huge, so to have captured the heart of such a passionate fan group is such a great thing

Lewis

That push begins at the Circuit of the Americas, a track that Lewis in particular has excelled at since it first appeared on the calendar in 2012.

In 11 visits to COTA, Lewis has taken the chequered flag inside the top four on every single occasion. Only in 2013 (P4) and 2023 (DSQ'd post-race) has he not left Texas with a Grand Prix podium trophy.

"This has been a track that has always been good to me, I love racing here," said the seven-time world champion.

"Every year the crowd gets bigger and the support gets better, so I am hoping we can be up there fighting this time around."

George added: "We have fared well here in the past, but we cannot just go on past performance.

"We are optimistic we can be in the fight for a good result."

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For the second season in succession, F1 will visit the US on three occasions in 2024.

Having already made a stop in Miami in May, F1 will also roll up to the Las Vegas Strip in November.

"Sport here is huge, so to have captured the heart of such a passionate fan group is such a great thing," said Lewis.

"Having three Grands Prix here just shows us the importance of the business."

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