US Grand Prix: Verstappen takes commanding win – Norris second

Max Verstappen made the Circuit of the Americas his own playground once again, cruising to a commanding victory at the 2025 US Grand Prix — his fifth win of the season.

McLaren’s Lando Norris recovered from an early setback to grab second place ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who executed an impressive performance turnaround after a difficult start to his Austin weekend.

Lewis Hamilton clocked in fourth while championship leader Oscar Piastri could only salvage fifth in what proved a bruising weekend for the Australian.

• United States Grand Prix - Race results

When the lights went out, Verstappen led cleanly from pole, but it was Leclerc who made the headlines with a bold move around the outside of Turn 1 to snatch second from Norris.

Starting on soft tyres compared to the medium-shod frontrunners, the Ferrari driver launched perfectly off the line and immediately had the upper hand in grip.

Norris, boxed in behind Leclerc, saw his hopes of challenging Verstappen evaporate as the Red Bull driver steadily pulled clear.

The McLaren man’s frustration mounted as he struggled to overtake the Ferrari — and to make matters worse, he picked up a black-and-white warning flag for repeated track limit violations while trying to close in.

Early Chaos and Strategy Battles

A brief Virtual Safety Car on lap seven shook up the rhythm when Carlos Sainz and Andrea Kimi Antonelli tangled at Turn 15. Sainz was out on the spot, and Antonelli dropped out of the top 10.

Once the incident cleared, the race settled into a rhythm that favored Verstappen’s metronomic pace.

Norris finally broke free on lap 21, diving up the inside of Leclerc into Turn 12 to take second — but by then Verstappen’s lead had ballooned to 11 seconds.

Leclerc responded by pitting for mediums, leaving Norris to soldier on in clean air.

Verstappen Untouchable, Norris Strikes Late

As the pit stops cycled through around lap 30, Norris briefly gained time on Verstappen, but his own stop dropped him behind Leclerc again — a repeat of his early-race frustration.

Determined not to waste another stint stuck in traffic, Norris attacked hard but soon reported his tyres were fading.

With a few laps to go, Norris regrouped and launched his decisive strike. On lap 51, he dived down the inside at Turn 1 to grab second.

Leclerc momentarily fought back with a switchback but had no answer to Norris’s superior traction and DRS power on the back straight.

Verstappen, meanwhile, was long gone — serene, efficient, and unchallenged to the flag.

Points and Pain Behind the Podium

Hamilton crossed the line a distant fourth for Ferrari, while Piastri clung on to fifth ahead of George Russell after battling tyre degradation all afternoon.

Behind them, Yuki Tsunoda fended off a spirited Oliver Bearman to claim seventh. Bearman’s late spin handed eighth to Nico Hulkenberg.

Fernando Alonso secured the final point in tenth for Aston Martin, just ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson.

Verstappen’s latest triumph further tightened his grip on the 2025 title race — and left everyone else, once again, chasing shadows in Texas.

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