US GP: Ferrari stun resurgent Red Bull amid Norris v Verstappen fireworks

Charles Leclerc headed a dominant Ferrari one-two in Austin, while Max Verstappen made the podium after FIA intervention.

Ferrari were in a league of their own, while Lando Norris thought he had completed the podium, only for the stewards to dock him five seconds for passing Verstappen off the track, meaning Verstappen clinched P3.

Ferrari fly, Verstappen v Norris fireworks

Verstappen declared it “like old times” after his comfortable Sprint victory, but now, it was time for the main event. Having started the Sprint from pole, Verstappen had to make do with a front-row start for the US Grand Prix, with title rival Lando Norris on pole.

The mediums were the starting compound of choice for most on the grid, while Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, starting from the pit lane, were on hard tyres.

Norris and Verstappen both got away well, but as Verstappen looked to squeeze his way through down the inside at Turn 1, both drivers ended up wide at the exit as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc swept through to lead the United States GP. Hamilton was already up from P18 to P12. Carlos Sainz in the sister Ferrari muscled his way into the podium places ahead of Norris.

Esteban Ocon meanwhile got himself into a spin, with the help of Alex Albon at T1, and was running P20 and last.

But Hamilton’s US GP charge made it to Lap 3 only as the five-time winner at COTA got beached in the Turn 19 gravel, the scene of Russell’s Q3 crash. With Hamilton’s W15 stranded after running out of grip, out came the Safety Car for what is a rare appearance these days.

Norris took the opportunity to express his frustrations over the radio about that Verstappen encounter at the start.

“He clearly pushed me off,” Norris suggested. “He had no intention to make the corner. And he himself went off the track.”

It was a short SC period with the race resuming at the end of Lap 5, Verstappen telegraphing Leclerc’s restart tactic, but no opening for the pass at Turn 1 presented itself.

Leclerc would soon escape DRS range for Verstappen, who in turn had a plus-second buffer over Sainz, who was experiencing a lack of power out of the exits and smelling fuel. Noris was closing in. Stroll meanwhile was noted for leaving the track and potentially gaining an advantage at Turn 15, which soon was followed by a no further action confirmation.

Zhou Guanyu would undo his progress by spinning at Turn 1 and dropping to P19 and last.

Lap 11 arrived and Ferrari believed a fix was there for Sainz, his pace suggesting the same, with Norris having fallen over two seconds behind.

Oscar Piastri was also having a tough time making progress in the sister McLaren. He was 1.7s behind Norris and calling Plan A “ambitious”.

Leclerc was wanting “Plan B or C” as Ferrari opened up Plan A should he keep this pace up. He was now five-and-a-half seconds clear of Verstappen, who was forewarned that Red Bull had spotted an “issue” that needed to be fixed at his pit stop.

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Russell, now up to P12, was given a five-second penalty for forcing Valtteri Bottas off the track. “What?!” Russell replied, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff calling the penalty a “total joke”.

Leclerc continued to control proceedings out front. As Lap 20 arrived, he was eight seconds clear of Verstappen, who was at risk of being undercut by Sainz, especially considering that warning of an issue that needed sorting at Verstappen’s stop. Sainz was in on Lap 22 for a set of hards.

McLaren were hoping to extend Norris’ opening stint having seen that his tyre deg was lower than Verstappen’s and Leclerc’s, as Leclerc came over the radio to warn Ferrari against a similar approach, making it clear he did not want the pressure from going long.

Leclerc urged Ferrari “focus on Plan C” as he was asked how many more laps at this pace he believed were in those mediums. Verstappen was suffering with the front and rear left tyres.

Verstappen was in on Lap 26, a 2.7-second stop for hards, as Sainz sailed through to make a net one-two for Ferrari. So, on the mediums, Ferrari shone, but would that remain the case on the hards?

Leclerc was in for hard tyres on the following lap, retaining comfortable track position over his team-mate and Verstappen.

Ferrari were telling Sainz “more phase 1 brake release”, though he broke the news in reply that he had no idea what that meant. Norris meanwhile was told this was the “Germany situation”, McLaren not wanting to “pull the trigger too soon” as “every lap is tyre delta”. Leclerc was coming, as he cleared Piastri at Turn 12.

Pierre Gasly was shown the black and white flag for track limits. One more breach would mean a five-second time penalty.

And Norris was in on Lap 32 for hards, McLaren hoping the extra tyre life could give them a shot at Sainz and Verstappen.

Piastri had a set of hards fitted on the next lap as Ferrari’s one-two in the order became official, while Gasly was hit with a five-second penalty, but for leaving the track and gaining an advantage when battling Yuki Tsunoda.

Verstappen was not having much more joy on the hard tyres, claiming he couldn’t “brake” or “attack anything”. Tsunoda also was not in the best of moods having been undercut by team-mate Liam Lawson, asking how this happened over the radio with Lawson now sitting pretty on the mediums.

Spinning at Turn 1 did little to cheer Tsunoda up, while Norris was now right on Verstappen’s tail for the final podium place, a battle potentially crucial with the World Championship in mind.

Norris was having looks at Turn 12, 15 and 16, but expert car placement from Verstappen was keeping his rival at bay. Thrilling stuff with five laps to go.

Lap 52 and Norris got his best chance yet, taking the outside line into Turn 12 as Verstappen ushered himself and Norris off the track, but Norris returned in P3, as Verstappen complained that Norris completed that pass off the circuit. Verstappen wanted P3 back. McLaren were saying Norris was ahead at the apex.

The stewards noted that incident and soon confirmed an investigation, with Red Bull also complaining about Norris moving under braking when they got to Turn 1.

For Ferrari it remained smooth sailing, as Leclerc raced to his third win of the season, followed across the line by team-mate Sainz, Ferrari’s first one-two of the season and a very timely one in the battle for the Constructors’ Championship .

Norris received a five-second penalty, leaving him with 1.5s needed over Verstappen to negate that. He could not do it, as Verstappen took the final podium spot.

2024 United States Grand Prix timings

1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
2 Carlos Sainz Ferrari +8.562
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +19.412
4 Lando Norris McLaren +20.354
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +21.921
6 George Russell Mercedes +56.295
7 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +59.072
8 Nico Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team +62.957
9 Liam Lawson RB +70.563
10 Franco Colapinto Williams +71.979
11 Kevin Magnussen Haas F1 Team +79.782
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine +90.558
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1L
14 Yuki Tsunoda RB +1L
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1L
16 Alexander Albon Williams +1L
17 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber +1L
18 Esteban Ocon Alpine +1L
19 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber +1L
DNF Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

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