At the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix on Sunday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured his third victory in four races, further asserting his dominance this season. Meanwhile, McLaren’s Lando Norris made significant strides in the championship battle by finishing second, closing the gap to his teammate Oscar Piastri.
Piastri, who finished a distant fifth, now leads Norris by just 14 points with five Grand Prix and two sprint races remaining. Verstappen’s late-season surge has put him within striking distance—he trails Piastri by 40 points and Norris by 26, positioning him as a serious contender in the title fight.
While Norris and Piastri vie for their first career drivers’ championships, Verstappen aims for a fifth consecutive title. His recent performance, including winning the Saturday sprint race after the two McLarens collided and retired on the opening lap, underscores his determination. “It was an unbelievable weekend for us,” Verstappen said. “The chance is there. We just need to try to deliver these kinds of weekends until the end.”
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Norris’s late overtaking move on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to claim second place earned him vital points in the championship chase. Starting from pole at the Circuit of the Americas, Verstappen maintained control throughout the race, building a commanding 10-second lead by midway as Norris and Leclerc battled fiercely for the runner-up spot. “It was a good battle with Charles. He fought hard,” Norris reflected. “We’ll have to take second. No more we could have done today.”
Piastri’s race stalled after starting sixth. Though he quickly gained one position in the opening corners, he was unable to advance further. His championship lead is under intense pressure, as he has not won since the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31 and has missed the podium in the last three events. “I’d still rather be where I am than the other two, but obviously this weekend was not what I wanted or expected,” said Piastri.
Looking ahead, the series moves to Mexico City, where Verstappen boasts five wins at the iconic Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. “I think we need to be perfect until the end to have a chance to win the championship,” he emphasized. “We’ve caught up a lot. At the same time, the gaps between cars are very small.”
Ferrari remains winless this season but showed promise with a strong third and fourth place finish by Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton respectively. This performance came just one day after Ferrari Chairman John Elkann publicly expressed “full confidence” in team principal Fred Vasseur amid swirling speculation about the potential return of former Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Leclerc welcomed the result, saying, “It was a good day, especially considering the situation. The second part of the season hasn’t been easy. There are completely unfounded noises and rumors around the team. To demonstrate we can stay focused on the job and be rewarded with a podium is really nice.”
In other news, F1 officials announced a contract extension securing the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) through the 2034 season. Opened in 2012, COTA remains the only purpose-built F1 track in the U.S., serving as a critical hub for the sport’s growth in the region.