Starting from pole position, Verstappen dominated the race at the Circuit of the Americas, leading every lap and taking the checkered flag 7.96 seconds ahead of Lando Norris (McLaren). Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured third place. The result reduces Verstappen’s deficit in the Drivers’ Championship to 40 points with seven races remaining.
The weekend began with Verstappen also winning the sprint race, giving him the maximum available points and adding pressure on championship leader Oscar Piastri (McLaren). Piastri, who entered the weekend with a 63-point lead, finished fifth in the main race and must now defend his position under renewed threat.
"It was a perfect weekend and I think the start was key today," said Verstappen. "The pace wasn’t magic but we got a good start on the first stint and Charles got in the middle of myself and Lando which helped a lot and as soon as Lando was in clean air he was very fast. We just did the best we could and tried to manage our tyres in the best way possible even though they were overheating a bit. This performance was exactly what we need until the end of the season to fight for the title. The Team has done a great job, I’m having fun and it’s exciting for everyone. The performance of the car has been better and we need to keep the momentum going. We really maximized everything with the points and we need to continue having these perfect weekends until the end of the season. I am very happy to win again."
Tyler Tate/T Squared Media House via AP
McLaren experienced mixed outcomes: Norris’s second place strengthens his title challenge, but Piastri’s off-pace performance increases the internal urgency at the Woking-based team. “Red Bull are genuine challengers,” Norris said after the race, acknowledging the shifting momentum.
From the start of the full Grand Prix, Verstappen held control. The Dutch driver secured a clean launch at lights-out and immediately built a gap over his rivals. Leclerc briefly held second early on, but Norris eventually overtook the Ferrari in the closing laps to lock in P2. Meanwhile, Piastri recovered from a poor weekend to finish fifth, salvaging points but losing ground in the championship battle.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, ahead of Piastri, while George Russell claimed sixth. Behind them were Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) in seventh and Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) in eighth. Williams driver Carlos Sainz retired after a first-lap incident.
Tyler Tate/T Squared Media House via AP
Verstappen’s performance marked his seventh U.S. Grand Prix win and his fourth at the Austin venue. After missing championship contention earlier in the season, this back-to-back victory in Monza and Austin has placed him firmly back in contention, provided he maintains consistency and avoids errors.
With five races and additional sprint events remaining, the title fight now involves McLaren, Red Bull and Verstappen as there is no longer room for mistakes. McLaren lead the Teams’ Championship, but Red Bull’s resurgence threatens to unsettle the status-quo as the season heads into its decisive phase.