Max Verstappen claimed another dominant victory at the United States Grand Prix, tightening the title race and putting pressure on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Norris finished second, while Piastri ended fifth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took third and fourth. Norris reduced Piastri’s lead in the standings to 14 points, with five races left. Verstappen, now 40 points behind Piastri, also boosted his title hopes.
Starting from pole, Verstappen quickly took control of the race and never looked back. The Red Bull driver, who also won the sprint race on Saturday, led from the first corner and went on to win in Austin for a record seventh time.
After the race, Verstappen said he still believed in his championship chances. “For sure, the chance is there,” he said. “We just need to deliver in every race until the end. It’s exciting.”
Leclerc started strongly after choosing soft tyres while most others began on mediums. His extra grip helped him jump into second place ahead of Norris at the start. Verstappen built an early gap, helped by a virtual safety car caused by a collision between Carlos Sainz and Kimi Antonelli. Sainz later received a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Mexico.
Norris struggled to pass Leclerc for most of the race. He made several attempts down the long back straight but could not get close enough. Leclerc defended well and held the position until the final laps.
Verstappen maintained his lead throughout, pitting on lap 24 and returning to the front easily. Norris stayed out longer, switched to soft tyres, and closed in on Leclerc again.
With five laps remaining, Norris finally overtook the Ferrari after several failed attempts earlier in the race. Leclerc had held off well, but Norris timed his move perfectly to secure second place.
Hamilton finished fourth after falling away in the final stages. Piastri struggled again, lacking pace all weekend. He could not catch Hamilton but held off George Russell to finish fifth.
Verstappen’s strong weekend, including his sprint win, allowed him to gain 23 points on championship leader Piastri. It was his third win in four races and his fifth of the season, matching Norris’ total.
