United States GP: Ferrari One-Two as Title Battle Heats Up

United States Grand Prix delivered high drama as Max Verstappen extended his championship lead after the stewards penalized Lando Norris for an off-track pass in the closing stages. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc dominated the race, seizing the lead on the first lap when both Norris and Verstappen ran wide at the first corner. Leclerc maintained control from that point securing a commanding victory with Carlos Sainz following him to complete a Ferrari one-two.

Norris crossed the line third after overtaking Verstappen at Turn 12 with four laps remaining but his pass involved running off the track. Despite Verstappen’s protests, Norris refused to give the position back. As a result, the stewards imposed a five-second penalty, dropping Norris to fourth and moving Verstappen up to third which extended his championship lead to 57 points with five races left.

The battle between Norris and Verstappen provided intense moments with incidents occurring at both the start and end of the race. At Turn 1, both drivers ran wide allowing Leclerc to slip into the lead. As the race progressed, Norris closed the gap on Verstappen and their thrilling duel culminated in the controversial pass that led to Norris’s penalty.

Sainz executed a smart race strategy, using the undercut during pit stops to get ahead of Verstappen and secure second place. Meanwhile, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took fifth and George Russell saved Mercedes’ weekend by recovering to sixth after starting from the pit lane. Lewis Hamilton crashed on lap two, ending his race early.

Following the United States Grand Prix, the F1 season moves to Mexico City for the next championship round followed by a sprint weekend in Brazil.