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Verstappen stays hot; F1 gets closer

AUSTIN, Texas — Red Bull’s Max Verstappen raced to his third victory in four races Sunday at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, while McLaren’s Lando Norris took a huge chunk out of teammate Oscar Piastri’s championship lead by finishing second.

Piastri was a distant fifth, allowing Norris to pull within 14 points with five grand prix and two sprint races to go.

Verstappen also is closing fast with his late-season charge. Verstappen now trails Piastri by 40 points, and Norris by 26, in third place, and has put the McClarens on notice he intends to chase them all the way to the end of the season.

Piastri and Norris are trying to win their first career drivers championship. Verstappen is hunting his fifth in a row, and his dominant form of late has given him a real chance to get it. He also won the sprint race Saturday after the two McLarens ran into each other on the first turn and crashed out.

“It was an unbelievable weekend for us,” Verstappen said. “The chance is there. We just need to try to deliver these kind of weekends until the end.”

Norris’ late pass of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for second earned the British driver a crucial position and points as he chases Piastri and hopes to hold off Verstappen over the final stretch of the season.

Verstappen started on the pole Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas and was never challenged for the lead in collecting his 68th career victory, and fourth in five years in Austin. The Dutch driver built a 10-second lead by the halfway point as Norris and Leclerc drove a furious battle for second.

“It was a good battle with Charles. He fought hard,” Norris said. “We’ll have to take second. No more we could have done today.”

Race winner Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, celebrates on the podium with third placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco after the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Race winner Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, celebrates on the podium with third placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco after the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher, Pool)Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher, Pool)Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick)Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick)Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick)Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick)