Charles Leclerc was comfortable in F1 US GP win leading a Ferrari 1-2 with Carlos Sainz also climbing up to second, from Max Verstappen.
It was a goodish start from McLaren’s Lando Norris in F1 US GP at Circuit of the Americas, but Red Bull’s Max Verstappen pushed him hard taking the inside line at Turn 1. The Brit went wide along with the Dutchman, which allowed someone else to take the lead.
It was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who took the F1 US GP lead from Verstappen with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz also sneaking through to third from Norris, who dropped to fourth. Teammate Oscar Piastri was fifth, having to fend off Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
Haas’ Kevin Magnussen was seventh from Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in ninth and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in 10th. Replays showed a moment between Williams’ Alexander Albon and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon too.
The Thai racer had the inside line and tapped Ocon who went into a spin. The incident was noted but there was no further action. Albon was forced to pit under the safety car when Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton went off at Turn 19 after losing control.
He gained five places to 12th when he spun on his own. At the front, Leclerc had a lead from Verstappen, who had to fend off an aggressive Sainz in the fight for second. Norris, meanwhile, felt undone by the Dutchman’s aggression into Turn 1.
But there was no call made by the stewards as he was stuck behind Sainz. The re-start dropped Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll to the back after a slight grass moment. His teammate Alonso lost 10th to Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg.
He came into the clutches of Visa Cash App RB’s Liam Lawson who got in front of him at one point, but Alonso retook 11th. There was a brief yellow flag for Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu, who spun on his own at Turn 1 to drop to last.
The fight between Alonso and Lawson was not done as the Kiwi came back on the Spaniard to retake 11th with the Aston Martin driver also having a grass moment in the corner. Mercedes’ George Russell in his recovery drive had a 5s time penalty.
He barged his way through Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas which pushed the Finn off the track where there was a minor contact as well. He didn’t give the place back and even got ahead of Williams’ Franco Colapinto, which meant he was handed a time penalty.
Russell and Toto Wolff wasn’t too pleased with the penalty as he cleared Alonso for 11th, just when Perez passed Tsunoda for eighth. The pit stop kick-started for the lower half teams and a slow one for Gasly meant he was behind Magnussen on track.
The pit stop for the leaders saw Sainz pit first and take track position from Verstappen, who went late like everyone else. Leclerc pitted eventually on Lap 27 and had the net lead, with the McLaren pair of Norris and Piastri going longer.
The Brit pitted on Lap 31 to come out behind Sainz and Verstappen, as Piastri pitted on Lap 32, with Leclerc back in US GP lead from Sainz and Verstappen. Gasly, meanwhile, was handed a 5s time penalty for overtaking Albon going all four wheels off-track.
He lost track position to both the Haas cars and was on the bubble after being shown the black and white flag for track limits. There was a 5s time penalty for Tsunoda as well for forcing Albon off track at Turn 12 again, who dropped to the last after his stop.
There was a late call from Haas to pit Magnussen which dropped him outside the points. He had a hefty fight against Colapinto, who pitted late too. Just ahead of them, a confused Tsunoda was behind Gasly in the fight for the final point when he spun on his own.
It was Turn 1 again which caught out both Colpainto and Magnussen just behind. Post the stops, it was Perez in sixth from Hulkenberg, Russell, Lawson and Gasly in the Top 10. The juicy battle in the top half was between Verstappen and Norris.
While Leclerc and Sainz stretched away, Verstappen fell into the clutches of Norris after struggling on the hard compound. The two ensued in a thrilling battle where the Brit tried a move for multiple laps to get by him in the fight for third.
And Norris eventually passed him at Turn 12 but went wide to overtake Verstappen on the outside. The Dutchman too came along as the move was put under investigation. The fight continued on the radio between the two, even though Norris created some gap.
There was limits scene bubbling for Norris as well, as the stewards handed a 5s penalty to Norris who crossed the line third but had to drop back. It was Leclerc with the win in F1 US GP in a Ferrari 1-2, with Sainz also climbing up along with his teammate.
Verstappen was third after all of it, with Norris in fourth from Piastri. The battle for sixth saw Russell make the move on Perez with a lap to go, with the Brit climbing up into the Top 10 after starting from the pitlane.
Hulkenberg was eighth from Lawson, who scored points on his F1 return as Colapinto scored again after rounding out the Top 10, keeping Magnussen at bay. Gasly had to be content with 12th from Alonso and a dejected Tsunoda.
Stroll was 16th from Albon, Bottas, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Guanyu to round out the 19 runners. Everyone from Alonso until Guanyu ended up a lap down on the leaders.
Here’s how F1 US GP sprint panned out
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