The Battle of Degradation at COTA: How Tyre Stints and Compound Choices Decided the United States GP

The 2023 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) was a showcase of critical tyre management and contrasting strategic philosophies. High ambient temperatures combined with the notoriously bumpy and abrasive track surface created significant thermal degradation, making a two-stop strategy the optimal choice for almost the entire grid. The race was defined by a tactical chess match between Red Bull's aggressive undercutting and Mercedes' tyre offset strategy, while Ferrari's solitary one-stop gamble highlighted the severe penalties of misjudging COTA's tyre wear profile.