Max Verstappen controlled at the front to win F1 US GP, as Lando Norris fought hard against Charles Leclerc to finish second.
It was clean start to main F1 race in US GP at Circuit of the Americas, as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led the way but Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the outside line and made the move stick to take second on the soft compound, from McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton also made up a position to fourth from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, as Mercedes’ George Russell dropped two places to sixth. Teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli hung on to seventh despite the fight against Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Williams’ Carlos Sainz.
The two were eighth and ninth, as Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda moved up three places to 10th after clearing multiple cars. He fended off Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg push in retaking the place. Further down, the German’s teammate Gabriel Bortoleto was cleared for an incident with Williams’ Alexander Albon.
The Thai spun after contact with the Brazilian on Lap 1. Also, to lose out from points was Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso after a bad start. While Verstappen led the way, Leclerc came under pressure from Norris and Hamilton, with Piastri under pressure from Russell.
Sainz cleared Bearman at Turn 15 for eighth, as Tsunoda cleared the Brit at Turn 1 to ninth. The Spaniard’s second attempt at the same corner on Antonelli didn’t work. The Italian turned at the apex and the two made contact, spinning the Mercedes driver to drop to the back of the field.
Sainz was forced to retire due to damage as the Virtual Safety Car was deployed, where Albon opted to undertake a pit stop. The re-start worked well for Verstappen, but Leclerc started to come under pressure from Norris after a brief period of slow run for the Brit.
The incident between Antonelli and Sainz allowed Tsunoda to move up to seventh – up by six places from where he started – with Bearman in eighth as Hulkenberg and Alonso moved into the Top 10, where the Spaniard was being chased by Visa Cash App RB’s Liam Lawson.
After multiple try, Norris finally got Leclerc on Lap 22 at the Turn 12 approach taking the outside line, to move up to second in the chase of Verstappen. The Monegasque defended from Hamilton as well aggressively, but eventually pitted on Lap 23 to switch onto the medium tyres.
He rejoined in ninth, as both Antonelli and Albon started to make inroads outside the points. The pit stop saga started on Lap 30 when Tsunoda stopped to switch on the soft compound. He was followed by the likes of Piastri, Hamilton and others in the points places.
Replays showed Russell having a wide run Turn 12, with Norris having a lock-up too. Verstappen and Russell pitted on Lap 34 after Norris did so on Lap 33. Post the pit stop saga, Leclerc was up to second, but Norris started to catch him, as Hamilton maintained track position over Piastri and Russell.
Tsunoda came under pressure from Bearman after a slow stop. The Brit went for a move at Turn 15, but braked at the apex which caught both out and the Haas driver spin around. He maintained eighth, but Hulkenberg pounced on him to take the place, with the Haas driver in ninth.
Alonso ran a distant 10th after a stop for Albon. As Verstappen led the way, Leclerc came under pressure from Norris but the Monegasque hung on, when the Brit started complaining about losing tyres. While Norris went for a cooldown for few laps, fights outside points continued on.
There were several cars in the mix for track position. Norris finally tried a move at Turn 1 on Lap 51, but Leclerc managed to hang on. It wasn’t for long as the Brit took the inside line and took second at the approach of Turn 12 to retake second and cut the points gap to Piastri.
At the back, Alpine issues team orders on Franco Colapinto against teammate Pierre Gasly for 17th. But the Argentine went ahead to pass him at Turn 1 taking the inside line. It was easy for Verstappen in the end to secure the F1 win in US GP, to cut the gap to 40 points to Piastri.
Norris salvaged second and cut points on the Australian to 14 points, as Leclerc took third from Hamilton and Piastri in the Top 5. Russell was sixth from Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Bearman and Alonso in the Top 10, with Lawson just outside in 11th. The Kiwi resisted Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll pressure.
Antonelli could only manage 13th from Albon, with Haas’ Esteban Ocon in 15th from Visa Cash App RB’s Isack Hadjar, Colapinto, Bortoleto and Gasly to round the 19 finishers. The likes of Colapinto, Bortoleto and Gasly finished a lap down on Verstappen.
UPDATE: Sainz was adjudged to be guilty party in the incident with Antonelli that ended the Spaniard’s race. The Williams driver expressed his opinion that the Italian should have anticipated the move and given him space. But as per the guideline, with the axle not in front or at par at the apex, the Mercedes driver was not mandated to leave the space.
And so Sainz was handed a 10s time penalty, which is converted to 5-place grid penalty in Mexico GP, along with two penalty points to make it a total of four against his name. Here: https://www.fia.com/system/files/decision-document/2025_united_states_grand_prix_-_infringement_-_car_55_-_causing_a_collision_with_car_12_in_turn_15.pdf
The FIA handed a fine of 50,000 euros to Red Bull after one of its team members re-entered the grid area or attempted to re-enter after the formation lap started. It happened near Gate 1 and attempts from marshals to move him away was futile. The team noted that the team member did not spot the efforts and unknowingly positioned himself there.
Since he hampered in a race procedure in terms of safety, the FIA handed a suspended fine. Out of the 50,000 euros, 25,000 euros is suspended for rest of F1 2025, provided the F1 team doesn’t incur anymore of such offence. Here: https://www.fia.com/system/files/decision-document/2025_united_states_grand_prix_-_infringement_-_oracle_red_bull_racing_-_failure_to_follow_the_instructions_of_relevant_officials_grid_incident.pdf
