Friday's summary: New trick from Mercedes, Verstappen angry with Hamilton

For the first time since 2019, Formula One returns to Austin for the United States Grand Prix. A lot happened again on Friday, GPblog lists the most important moments.

Reliability problems at Mercedes?

Valtteri Bottas receives another five-place grid penalty after replacing yet his sixth combustion engine. It raises questions about the reliability of Mercedes' engine. Toto Wolff says that there is a risk that Lewis Hamilton will also be penalised. Customer teams Aston Martin and Williams will also start from the back with Sebastian Vettel and George Russell. This does not look very good for Mercedes. Click here to read the full story. 

Verstappen angry at Hamilton

Even though the race isn't until Sunday, Max Verstappen and Hamilton couldn't resist racing each other on the track today. On the straight, the title rivals did not want to give each other any space. The Dutchman was not very happy with his competitor and called him a"stupid idiot". The drivers both wanted to get ready for a fast lap. Verstappen gave up halfway through the session and focused on the long runs. He sounded very dissatisfied on the team radio with all the traffic. Click here for the full story. 

Mercedes suspension 

It seems that Mercedes is driving with a new, more flexible rear suspension in Austin. The aerodynamic advantage would provide more top speed. On the straights, the suspension would lower, while it would return to its original position when braking for the corner. There are questions regarding the legality of the part, but everything is clear at the minute. 

Red Bull recovers

After Valtteri Bottas was the fastest man in FP1 with a big gap to Red Bull, Red Bull recovered during the second practice. Helmut Marko is cautiously optimistic about the weekend but does see that Mercedes are fast. Still, it seems that the weekend will not go the way of Mercedes as much as expected.