Max Verstappen secured a commanding victory at the US Grand Prix held in Austin, marking his fifth triumph of the season. Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz accompanied him on the podium, showcasing impressive performances throughout the race.
Race Highlights
- Winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Runner-up: Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Third Place: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Fourth Place: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Fifth Place: Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Starting Positions
Norris began the race alongside Verstappen on the front row. He aimed to leverage McLaren’s notable race performance against the Red Bull driver, who had dominated recent races. However, Norris’s hopes of clinching victory diminished early.
Key Moments
At the start of the race, Charles Leclerc utilized soft tires, unlike other top-ten drivers on medium tires. This strategy allowed him to secure second position at the first corner, trailing Verstappen.
As the race progressed, Verstappen steadily enlarged his lead. An early virtual safety car was called due to a collision involving Carlos Sainz from Williams and Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes.
Norris’s Challenges
Norris found it difficult to overtake Leclerc despite several attempts at Turn 12, located at the end of the elongated back straight. He struggled to find an opportunity to pass, while Verstappen continued to dominate the race.
Leclerc pitted on lap 22 to switch to medium tires, maintaining his position. Verstappen followed suit shortly after but remained in first place without losing any momentum.
Norris delayed his pit stop for ten additional laps, ultimately falling behind Leclerc when he switched to soft tires. He emerged from the pits 2.4 seconds behind but quickly closed the gap.
Final Laps
Despite his efforts, Norris faced a challenging situation as his tires began to wear out. His race engineer, Will Joseph, advised him to ease off for a few laps to cool the tires and regain pace.
In the final five laps, Norris made significant progress. He attempted to overtake Leclerc at Turn One, briefly gaining the position. However, Leclerc successfully reclaimed it shortly thereafter.
Just half a lap later, Norris executed a clever maneuver into Turn 12. He fooled Leclerc and successfully completed the overtaking move, ultimately securing second place.
Hamilton, who had fallen back during the race, finished in a solitary fourth place. Oscar Piastri rounded out the top five, demonstrating the competitive spirit of McLaren in the race.
