Max Verstappen has a perfect Grand Prix weekend in the United States: after winning the sprint race on Saturday, he also wins the regular race in Austin on Sunday. This is the Dutchman’s fifth GP victory of the season. In the title fight, he further extends his lead over Lando Norris (second) and Oscar Piastri (fifth).
ROUND 1/56: In contrast to the sprint race, everything goes well in turn 1 this time. Verstappen has a great start, as does Charles Leclerc on the soft tire. The Ferrari driver overtakes Norris and takes second place. Verstappen immediately pulls away, far behind him, championship leader Piastri is in fifth place after the first round.
ROUND 7/56: Behind the comfortably leading Verstappen, Leclerc and Norris are fighting for second place. They have to pause this battle after seven rounds due to a virtual safety car. The race management decides to do this after Carlos Sainz and Kimi Antonelli collide and the Spaniard in the Williams has to park his car along the track. The Italian can continue, he joins at the back. In round 9 the VSC ends, full throttle!
ROUND 15/56: While the first regular pit stop is made by Gabriel Bortoleto, Norris attempts to overtake Leclerc. The tug-of-war for P2 lasts a few turns and Leclerc successfully defends his position. Norris is the faster of the two, on the medium tires, and continues to press. Behind the duo, Hamilton is in P4, Piastri (fifth) is not close and the top 10 is completed by Russell, Tsunoda, Bearman, Hülkenberg, and Alonso.
ROUND 21/56: Persistence pays off: Norris finally manages to overtake Leclerc. However, the Brit has to be careful: he has exceeded the track limits three times and will receive a five-second time penalty for the next violation. Leclerc, after a small duel with teammate Hamilton, goes in for his first pit stop.
ROUND 28/56: The United States Grand Prix is halfway through. What stands out is that the tires are performing well for many. Therefore, alternative strategies can be considered. Verstappen and engineer Gianpiero Lambiase also discuss this on the radio. Meanwhile, Norris is not getting any closer to the Dutchman, who has everything under control.
Lap 35/56
The leading drivers have made their pit stops, all switching from medium to soft tyres. Championship leader Piastri is the first, with the rest following suit. Norris’ pit stop does not go well: he loses over a second compared to the others. For Verstappen, everything is smooth sailing, as it is for George Russell. Meanwhile, in the sub-top, Bearman spins while battling with Yuki Tsunoda. The top 10 at the end of this lap are: Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Piastri, Russell, Tsunoda, Hülkenberg, Bearman, and Albon.
Lap 45/56
For several laps now, Norris has been struggling on his soft tyres. Did McLaren make the wrong choice? Verstappen continues to comfortably lead the race, also on soft rubber. However, Norris is pushing his tyres hard in the chase for Leclerc, which could be his downfall. Verstappen can manage calmly, a victory is getting closer. Further down the field, Tsunoda and Hülkenberg stand out: they are running a solid race in P7 and P8. Alonso, Lawson, Stroll, and Antonelli are fighting for the last point.
Lap 51/56
Norris has finally caught up with Leclerc, and they are once again battling for second place. After a first attempt by the Brit fails, he later manages to overtake the Monegasque.
Lap 56/56
End of the race! Verstappen finishes first, followed by Norris and Leclerc. Championship leader Piastri finishes a colorless race in fifth place, thereby seeing both Norris and Verstappen closing in. For the Dutchman, it’s a perfect weekend: victories on both Saturday and Sunday have brought him even closer to the McLaren drivers.
