Max Verstappen took another step towards spoiling McLaren’s 2025 Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship ambitions by dominating the United States Grand Prix from start to finish, defeating Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who finished P2 and P5, respectively. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was P3.
Verstappen crushed McLaren at the United States Grand Prix with a commanding lights-to-flag win in Austin, slashing Oscar Piastri’s Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship lead to just 40 points and leaving Lando Norris 14 adrift after a costly weekend for the papaya team.
After his fifth win of the season and his 68th GP victory, Verstappen said: “It was an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew the race would not be super straightforward. If you look at the whole race, the pace between myself and Lando was really close.
“In that first stint, we made a difference. I could eek out a bit of a gap and that was the gap until the end. It wasn’t easy to manage the tyres in both of the stints. We kept it in the lead and I’m incredibly proud of everyone to deliver a weekend like this,” added Verstappen.
Norris drove a solid race, but never really challenged Verstappen as the McLaren driver was busy fighting Leclerc all afternoon, having to overtake him twice. By the time he got by the final time, Verstappen was well up the road.
Norris vs Leclerc
Norris summed up his race: “It was a good battle with Charles; he fought hard. It was tough. We did everything we could. I thought we had it in an easier way after we got ahead and we went much longer.
“I expected a slightly easier second attempt to get through but it wasn’t the case. Charles drove a very good race, it was good fun. Good battles. So I had to take second, not a lot more we could have done today,” concluded Norris in parc ferme after the GP.
Leclerc surprised all by starting on Pirelli Softs among a field mainly on Meidums. He made Norris work for that P2 and was never seriously challenged for third by Lewis Hamilton, while keeping Piastri at bay towards the end of the race.
Lelerc said afterwards: “I was a little bit worried when I saw I was the only car on the softs. I knew it was a risky move. What I had in mind was to use the softs and get free air. It was quite optimistic because we had two cars in front but we gained one position and that helped us a lot after the race.
“I’m very happy overall because it’s been a tough second part of the year, and to be back on the podium, after what was a difficult FP1 with a gearbox problem, we recovered well, so I’m happy,” reckoned the Ferrari driver.
Lights to flag victory for Verstappen
From pole, Verstappen launched perfectly and immediately covered off Leclerc’s challenge into Turn 1, while the Ferrari driver swept around the outside of Norris to take second. Hamilton slotted into fourth as Piastri fended off Russell through the Esses to hold fifth.
Within two laps, Verstappen was 1.5 seconds clear and stretching away, while Norris quickly became trapped behind Leclerc. Multiple attempts down the back straight were denied by the Ferrari’s defensive line, forcing Norris into a series of track-limits warnings that earned him a black-and-white flag by Lap 20.
As the Red Bull disappeared ahead, McLaren bluffed a pit stop to pressure Ferrari, before Norris finally powered past Leclerc on Lap 21 with a clean move into Turn 12. By then Verstappen was already 10 seconds clear.
Leclerc pitted early for mediums, triggering the undercut, but Norris’s slow stop at Lap 33 – 3.8 seconds – dropped him back behind the Ferrari. Verstappen pitted a lap later and rejoined six seconds ahead, never looking threatened.
Piastri damage limitation
On fresher softs, Norris charged back, closing on Leclerc again. A fierce battle followed as the McLaren driver dived past at Turn 1, lost out, then struck back decisively into Turn 12 on Lap 51. He immediately pulled away, extending the gap beyond five seconds to secure second place and limit damage in the standings.
Leclerc’s alternative tyre strategy earned Ferrari a well-deserved third, having fended off relentless pressure for most of the race.
Behind the podium trio, Hamilton survived late drama to hold fourth. The Ferrari driver reported a suspected front-right puncture on the final lap but clung on to equal his best finish of the season.
Piastri, in contrast, endured a subdued run to fifth after fading from the lead group early and failing to match his team-mate’s pace. Russell took sixth for Mercedes after an error on his in-lap cost him a shot at undercutting the Australian.
Hulkenberg delivered another sharp performance for Sauber with seventh ahead of Tsunoda, while Bearman recovered from a mid-race spin to finish ninth. Alonso completed the points in tenth, having shaken off Lawson and Stroll in the closing laps.
Verstappen’s dominant double in Austin – winning both the Sprint and the Grand Prix – reignited the title fight he once seemed out of. From 104 points behind two months ago, he leaves Texas just 40 off Piastri, as the championship heads into its decisive final rounds.
United States Grand Prix Result
United States Grand Prix Lap-by-Lap Report
Start / Lap 1/56
Lights out. Verstappen launches cleanly and covers the inside. Leclerc sweeps around Norris to take second at the exit of Turn 1. Hamilton slots into fourth. Piastri clears Russell for fifth on the run through the Esses.
Lap 2/56
Verstappen builds a 1.5s cushion. Leclerc holds Norris at 0.8s. Hamilton steady in fourth. Piastri withstands Russell pressure. Albon limps after Turn 12 contact but continues.
Lap 3/56
Norris attacks into Turns 12–15, Leclerc resists. Verstappen’s lead tops two seconds.
Lap 4/56
Repeat scenario at the end of the back straight. Leclerc keeps track position. Hamilton now glued to the fight for second. Verstappen near three seconds clear.
Lap 5/56
Norris feints a late lunge at Turn 12, thinks better of it. Leclerc’s softs still live. Piastri remains fifth, holding Russell.
Lap 6/56
Norris drops to nine tenths behind Leclerc. Hamilton a second back. Piastri brings Russell with him. Hadjar receives black-and-white warning for track limits.
Lap 7/56
Antonelli and Sainz tangle at Turn 15. Sainz retires with damage before the pit lane. Antonelli continues with damage, falls to 18th.
Lap 8/56 — VSC
Virtual Safety Car to recover Sainz’s car. Albon pits only. Field neutralised.
Lap 9/56 — Green
Racing resumes. Leclerc gaps Norris to two seconds on the restart. Hamilton draws closer to Norris.
Lap 10/56
Verstappen leads Leclerc by 2.9s. Hard-tyre runners at the back report poor grip trends. Strategy window forming for long medium stints; Leclerc alone in the lead group on softs.
Lap 12/56
Russell sticks at 1.1s behind Piastri for fifth. No DRS chains inside the top ten.
Lap 13/56
Norris back within DRS of Leclerc. Lap deletion noted earlier for Norris at the final turn. Piastri had a deletion at Turn 13 the lap before. Verstappen extends to four seconds.
Lap 14/56
Leclerc notes Norris off at the final corner; track limits strike registered. Norris closes back up.
Lap 15/56
Leclerc covers the inside through Turns 12–15 again. Verstappen lead out to five seconds. Norris needs to clear Leclerc to keep hopes alive.
Lap 16/56
Another track-limits violation for Norris. Hamilton inches toward the pair. Piastri fades from the lead quartet with front-left concerns. Russell stalks.
Lap 17/56
Leclerc varies his defence into the braking zone. Norris forced to reset.
Lap 18/56
Leclerc holds Norris off again. Verstappen stretches from five to seven seconds. Norris loses ground.
Lap 19/56
Norris draws alongside down the back straight, forced wide in the stadium. Runs off but continues.
Lap 20/56
Black-and-white flag for Norris after a third track-limits strike. McLaren bluffs a pit call to force Ferrari’s hand, keeps Norris out.
Lap 21/56
Norris finally clears Leclerc into Turn 12 with superior straight-line pace. Gap to Verstappen ten seconds.
Lap 22/56
Ferrari intra-team squeeze as Hamilton ranges up to Leclerc. Leclerc dives to the pits at the end of the lap for mediums. Hamilton to third.
Lap 23/56
Leclerc rejoins in clean air on mediums, undercut threat armed. Hamilton to P3 on track.
Lap 24/56
Norris in clean air but unable to chip Verstappen; lead peaks at eleven seconds.
Lap 25/56
McLaren elects not to cover Leclerc immediately. Ferrari eases Leclerc’s tyres in for longevity, undercut picture strengthens.
Lap 26/56
Leclerc slices past Hulkenberg on fresher tyres. Bearman next target three seconds up the road. Leclerc now eighth, 22s behind Norris who has not stopped.
Lap 28/56 — Half Distance
Verstappen leads Norris by eleven seconds. Hamilton five further back. Piastri in a solitary fourth. Leclerc the only front-runner to have stopped, cycling forward.
Lap 29/56
Ferrari instructs Hamilton to lift and coast over plank wear concerns. Small lap-time loss expected.
Lap 31/56
Piastri pits. Clean 2.3s stop. Rejoins ahead of Russell in the fifth-place battle. Russell lock-up at Turn 12 on the in-lap costs time.
Lap 32/56
Hamilton pits from third, rejoins sixth, ten seconds behind Leclerc on offset tyres.
Lap 33/56
Norris pits after a long first stint. Slow 3.8s stop drops him back behind Leclerc. Second McLaren service gremlins strike again.
Lap 34/56
Verstappen and Russell pit. Red Bull executes crisply; Verstappen rejoins still clear by six seconds over Leclerc. Russell out five seconds behind Piastri.
Norris, on fresher softs, carves the deficit to Leclerc to 2.4s, gains eight tenths on the first push lap.
Lap 35/56
Bearman spins attempting a move on Tsunoda, touches grass and loops it. Falls to ninth. Hulkenberg up to eighth.
Lap 36/56
Top three on the main straight together on offset tyres. Verstappen leads Leclerc by 6.7s. Norris the quickest of the trio, closes to 1.3s of Leclerc.
Lap 37/56
Norris overdrives the penultimate corner chasing DRS. Warning in mind, pushes on.
Lap 38/56
Norris receives a firm radio warning to avoid further track-limits. He gains DRS on Leclerc. Piastri stranded in fifth, 5.8s behind Hamilton and only 2.7s ahead of Russell with the Mercedes lapping quicker. Tsunoda pits for softs as strategies converge.
Lap 39/56
Norris runs deep at Turn 10 but stays on the island. Tyre offset versus Leclerc’s older mediums remains his lever.
Lap 40/56
Norris gets DRS down the back straight, sits eight tenths back at the line. Cooling phase advised to manage surface temps.
Lap 41/56
Norris still within one second. Hamilton nine seconds adrift, comfortable in fourth.
Lap 42/56
Norris drops to two seconds behind Leclerc as the reset bites. Hamilton stable, Norris safe from behind even if tyres sag.
Lap 43/56
Race settles. Verstappen reports rising slide yet edges the pace. Lead holds just under seven seconds.
Lap 44/56
Hamilton nine seconds off Norris, lacking late-stint pace relative to Leclerc’s tyre plan. Top three pace within a tenth the lap prior. Leclerc’s alternate start on softs proves effective.
Lap 47/56
Piastri seven seconds behind Hamilton, makes no inroads. Russell three seconds behind the championship leader. At the tail of the points, Alonso holds tenth, Lawson just outside DRS, Stroll pressuring Lawson.
Lap 48/56
Norris resets temperatures, ramps pace, back within two seconds of Leclerc.
Lap 49/56
Gap for second shrinks to 1.3s. Final phase charge ignites.
Lap 50/56
Norris within DRS. The battle for second becomes the race’s headline.
Lap 51/56
First strike: Norris dives at Turn 1, Leclerc cuts back and retakes P2. Later on the lap, Norris commits on the back straight, out-brakes into Turn 12 and seals the move.
Lap 52/56
Norris breaks DRS immediately, 1.7s clear of Leclerc. Four laps remain. Second place tilts decisively his way, valuable points over Piastri.
Lap 53/56
Verstappen eight seconds to the good out front. Four tours from the flag.
Lap 54/56
Alonso drops Lawson and secures a 2.4s cushion for 10th. Stroll falls out of Lawson’s DRS. Bearman stable in ninth after the earlier spin. Hulkenberg firm in seventh. Norris extends the gap to Leclerc past five seconds.
Lap 55/56
Verstappen navigates backmarkers Colapinto and Gasly as they scrap for 17th. Hamilton reports vibration and fades sharply. Piastri closes to within striking range for fourth on the final tour.
Lap 56/56
Verstappen begins the last lap 7.1s clear of Norris. Hamilton clings on with reduced pace. Piastri throws everything at it but runs out of corners.
Chequered Flag
Verstappen wins in Austin to complete a maximum weekend and trims the deficit to Piastri to 40 points. Norris finishes second and moves to 14 behind Piastri in the standings.
Leclerc takes third after the alternate-tyre opener. Hamilton, despite a late scare, holds off Piastri for fourth to equal his best Ferrari finish. Piastri P5, Russell P6, Hulkenberg P7, Tsunoda P8, Bearman P9, Alonso P10.