An engineer's guide to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, venue for the United States Grand Prix - the 18th and penultimate round in the 2013 F1 World Championship.

The Circuit

Turn 1: The elevation change at Turn 1 is significant, as the circuit rises steeply before dropping away.

Turns 2 - 4: Turns 2, 3 & 4 are flat out at very high speed; around 280kph in seventh gear.

Turns 5 - 6: Turns 5 & 6 Not quite as quick as the previous trio, but nonetheless fast; around 220kph in fifth gear.

Turn 11: Turn 11 provides a good potential overtaking opportunity, as drivers exit the third gear Turn 9 into the flat-out Turn 10 before braking heavily for this hairpin.

Turn 12: Brakes need to be set up to ensure that they are not too cool by the end of the straight, as they will receive heavy usage into this tight left-hander.

Turns 13 - 15: Turns 13, 14 & 15 are fairly low speed, second gear corners. The best line through this combination is determined by the kerbs.

Turns 16 - 18: Front wing levels are tailored to counter understeer in this continuous, double-apex combination of corners.

The Car

Rear Wing: This will be set at a similar level to that used in Abu Dhabi. Maximum speed reached on the straight is around 315kph so it has a long straight, but this is intermingled with a diverse mix of corners; both high speed and low speed.

Front Wing: Relatively more front wing is required here to counter understeer through Turns 16 - 18 where the car would otherwise push through the turn; killing speed and wearing the front tyres.

Suspension: This is a balance between high speed stability for the flat out Turns 2 - 4 and the change of direction requirements later in the lap.

Brakes: Brake cooling levels must be set to maintain sufficient heat at the end of the long straight, while avoiding potential overheating in the technical section. Balancing temperatures will be the name of the game, with no issues expected in terms of wear.

Engine: Average engine revs sit at around 15,500rpm here [mid to high range vs. other tracks] with 60% of the lap spent with the throttle wide open.

Tyres: The most conservative allocation of hard and medium compounds will be in use here. The layout and track surface will make unlocking maximum tyre performance quite challenging, whilst the allocation of the two hardest compounds means degradation is unlikely to be too much of a factor in the race

Guide provided by the Lotus F1 Team