Max Verstappen took the win in the sprint race at the US Grand Prix, completing an ominously dominant drive at the Circuit of the Americas for Red Bull. By beating his title rival Lando Norris into third he extended his championship lead and demonstrated the Red Bull is once more on good form as the season enters its final phase. Norris lost second place to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz on the final lap costing him a point, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were in fifth and sixth for Mercedes.
Verstappen maintained his unbeaten record in the short-form format this season, with what proved to be a comfortable drive from pole to flag at the Circuit of the Americas. Once the Dutchman held the lead from the off he was in control and unchallenged across the 19-lap dash. Norris chased him to the flag but with his tyres shot toward the end, could not prevent Sainz from taking second place on the final lap.
The win is just the opening to the six-race title deciding run-in that will close the season Verstappen required. He has extended his lead over Norris to 54 points, with a further 172 still on the table. While he only outscored Norris by two points, vitally he prevented the British driver from narrowing the gap. Norris needs to outscore his rival by just under nine points per meeting and with the additional chances to do so in sprint races, he will consider this an opportunity lost.
Most importantly for Verstappen and Red Bull it indicates the limited upgrades the team brought to the race and their work over the previous four weeks in an effort to solve the balance issues with which their car has been suffering, appear to have been successful. Verstappen and Red Bull have not won a race since Spain and this is the first time he demonstrated the confidence and control at the front of the field he enjoyed in the first half of the season when he won seven of the opening ten meetings.
Verstappen held his lead through turn one but Norris made a superb start darting up the inside and then moving round the outside of Russell into second from fourth on the grid through turn two.
By lap two of the 19, Verstappen and Norris had already opened a gap as the Dutchman also looked to put distance on his title rival but was unable to shake the McLaren.
The two Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz were enjoying their own fight, repeatedly swapping places over the opening laps in fourth and fifth, with Sainz making it through on lap six, while Russell, on a charge in the Mercedes, caught Norris and with DRS climbed all over his gearbox.
Norris, having to defend, had dropped by two seconds from Verstappen but had been managing the wear on his rear tyres as the race reached half distance. While Sainz, showing great pace, then passed Russell for third and Leclerc followed him a lap later, Russell’s tyres overheating after his tilt at Norris.
Norris was coming back at Verstappen, the gap coming down but the Dutchman reacted and eased ahead once more, with a clear two-seconds by lap 15, enough to hold the place to the flag, while Norris was jumped at the last by Sainz to claim second.
Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg were in seventh and eighth for Haas.
