Max Verstappen of Red Bull took command at the US Grand Prix, leading every lap from pole position on Sunday, significantly reducing Oscar Piastri’s lead in the Formula One standings during a flawless weekend in Texas.
Oscar Piastri from McLaren secured fifth place, with his teammate and nearest competitor Lando Norris finishing second after overtaking Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, last year’s champion, five laps before the finish line.
Piastri now holds a 14-point advantage over Britain’s Norris with five races and two sprints left, while Verstappen has narrowed his gap to the Australian to 40 points, down from 104 at the end of August.
Verstappen also claimed victory in the Saturday sprint from pole at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, while the McLaren duo collided and retired, maximizing points for the four-time world champion over the weekend.
McLaren has already secured the constructors’ championship.
“The opportunity is certainly there,” Verstappen commented on his title pursuit. “We need to keep delivering performances like this until the end.”
“We’ll do everything we can. It’s thrilling,” he added after achieving his third win in four races and the 68th of his career.
Piastri expressed confidence in his potential to become Australia’s first champion since Alan Jones in 1980, with no concerns.
“I’d still prefer my current position over the others,” said the 24-year-old.
Norris initially fell behind Leclerc but took 21 laps to regain position as the Monegasque, on faster but less durable soft tires, demonstrated a defensive masterclass.
Leclerc then engaged in a battle with Lewis Hamilton, who started on medium tires, before pitting on lap 23 and rejoining in ninth place, with his teammate advancing to third and Piastri to fourth.
By then, Verstappen was 10 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor.
After the leading drivers completed their pitstops, Leclerc was again second but over six seconds behind Verstappen, with Norris in third, needing to overtake once more with a track limits warning looming.
Norris completed the task, finishing 7.9 seconds behind Verstappen and 7.4 seconds ahead of the Ferrari.
“It was challenging. We gave it our all,” he said about a contest that provided fans with excitement as Verstappen circled largely absent from the global broadcast.
“I anticipated a smoother second attempt to pass, but it wasn’t to be. Charles drove excellently. It was enjoyable and competitive. We have to accept second place. Not much more was possible today.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella noted that Norris could have contended for the victory if not delayed by the Ferrari.
Hamilton secured fourth, with Piastri just 1.1 seconds behind, and George Russell, who won in Singapore, finishing sixth for Mercedes.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda finished seventh, ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Haas’s Oliver Bearman. Fernando Alonso secured the final point for Aston Martin.
The virtual safety car was deployed on lap seven following a collision between Mercedes’ rookie Kimi Antonelli and Williams’ Carlos Sainz, with the latter retiring after attempting an inside pass for seventh place.
Stewards imposed a five-place grid penalty on Sainz for next weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, along with two penalty points, for causing the incident.
Sainz’s teammate Alex Albon was also involved in a first-corner collision with Sauber’s rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.
The weekend was considered a heat hazard, though race day temperatures were lower than anticipated, around 28.6 degrees Celsius (83.5 Fahrenheit).
