Leclerc and Ferrari achieve 1-2 in Austin with Verstappen on the podium

Charles Leclerc took victory for Ferrari at the United States Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz completing the 1-2 for the Italian team. Max Verstappen secured third place after Lando Norris received a penalty that dropped him to fourth position.

Strong start for Ferrari

The race start was crucial for Ferrari's result. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris fought for position at the first corner, allowing Leclerc to pass on the inside. Sainz also took advantage to move into third place, while Norris dropped to fourth after losing the battle off the line.

The race was briefly interrupted on lap 3 due to an incident where Lewis Hamilton lost control of his Mercedes and ended up off the track, prompting the safety car. Once racing resumed on lap 6, Leclerc held onto the lead, closely followed by his teammate Sainz.

Key pit strategies

Carlos Sainz was the first of the frontrunners to pit, opting for hard tires on lap 22. This strategy allowed him to return to the track in a favorable position to fend off Verstappen, who made his stop on lap 26. Ferrari's pace management allowed Leclerc to stay comfortably in front for the remainder of the race.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris was trying to recover after losing ground at the start. The British driver applied pressure on Verstappen in the closing laps, attempting to pass the Red Bull driver on lap 53. Both cars went off the track, which led the stewards to review the maneuver and penalize Norris with five seconds, dropping him to fourth.

Controversy over Norris penalty

The penalty given to Lando Norris was a major talking point after the race. Andrea Stella, McLaren's team principal, expressed his disagreement with the stewards' decision, stating that both Norris and Verstappen exceeded track limits during the maneuver, and there was no need to penalize only the British driver. He also compared this incident to a similar move by Verstappen on lap one, which went unpunished.

Norris expressed frustration with the delay in the stewards' decision, noting that it highlighted how difficult the call was. Nonetheless, he acknowledged Verstappen's strong defensive driving and accepted the result.

Final results

Leclerc crossed the finish line with an 8.5-second advantage over Sainz, securing Ferrari's 1-2 in Austin. Max Verstappen, after defending his position from Norris, finished third on the podium. Norris, affected by the penalty, ended up in fourth place. George Russell, who also served a penalty, managed to overtake Sergio Pérez on the final lap, dropping the Mexican to seventh. Franco Colapinto finished in tenth place, scoring points for the second time this season.