F1 Daily: Antonelli's Championship Mindset, F1 Academy Qualifying, and COTA's Safety Concerns

Drivers fulfilled their Media Day duties on Thursday, and they are already looking forward to the two Free Practice sessions on Friday. Several drivers, especially Red Bull's Max Verstappen, have been vocal about their concerns for the upcoming United States Grand Prix.

What are they concerned about? Let's find out.  

The Circuit of The Americas went through major resurfacing in 2024, particularly to address the dangerous bumps on its surface. However, several drivers on the grid are still concerned about these bumps. Verstappen says that the bumps are unacceptable, citing the damage that they could do to a driver's spine. Meanwhile, Norris complained of the headaches he'll experience after racing in Austin.

Verstappen also called for changes beyond just resurfacing. The Dutchman emphasized that a proper fix, such as opening up the track and creating a stronger foundation, is the change that COTA needs.

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has the chance to clinch the title this weekend, but he's not thinking too much about that possibility. Antonelli's mindset is to do everything by the book, have a clean weekend, and win the race on Sunday.

Since his back-to-back victories in Monza and Madrid, Antonelli hasn't won a race since. He's aiming to bounce back in Austin.

Red Bull-backed Alisha Palmowski secured pole position for both the opening and feature races at the F1 Academy's United States round. Her fastest lap was initially deleted due to track limits, but it was eventually reinstated.

Austin is the second-to-last race in the F1 Academy calendar, with Las Vegas as their season finale. Palmowski currently leads the championship by 48 points over Emma Felbermayr of Rodin Motorsport.

Ferrari and Aston Martin are the latest teams to announce new liveries for the US Grand Prix. Ferrari brings in a blueprint livery that they co-developed with HP specialists, while Aston Martin adds more light blue color to their car to mark their five-year partnership with Cognizant.

Haas (Godzilla-themed), Mercedes (MANUFAKTUR-collaborated), and Cadillac (Texas-inspired) are the other teams with new liveries this weekend.

The FIA has partnered with Formula 1 to open a new Remote Operations Centre (ROC) at the latter's Biggin Hill base in the UK. The facility has the equipment and manpower to process live audio, video, telemetry, and team radio feeds in real time, which would be a big help for Race Control and stewards. The ROC will operate for F1, F2, and F3.

F1's base in Biggin Hill also includes the Media and Technology Centre (M&TC), which serves as the sport's global broadcasting and media hub.