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Tyres NorthamptonMax Verstappen and Lando Norris repeatedly went wheel-to-wheel in their latest title skirmish. But it was the stewards who decided who took the final podium spot after a contentious late-race overtake led to a penalty that will fuel social media arguments all week.
Almost inevitably, the Verstappen-Norris pair started the race from the front row, with Norris beating Verstappen in Qualifying after George Russell crashed to prevent anyone from setting faster laps. Yet neither driver held the lead out of Turn 1. Verstappen took to the inside of Norris on the uphill run to the first braking zone and pushed the McLaren driver to the outside on the corner exit. He completed the overtake, but the P4-starting Leclerc took advantage of Verstappen's focus on Norris and cut by both on the inside line to secure the lead.
Subsequent laps showcased how close the 2024 constructors had become as it became anyone's guess whether Ferrari, Red Bull, or McLaren would be the winning car in the Austin heat. Carlos Sainz almost followed Leclerc to pass Verstappen as the Scuderia enjoyed their best outing since Australia. Instead, the Spaniard had to settle for overtaking Norris to be P3, but his Sprint race pace from Saturday meant he remained a threat for victory. Indeed, he tried to get through on the inside at Turn 12 for P2, but Verstappen used the runoff to stay ahead. Any further attempts for passing would have to wait, though, with an early Safety Car — the first in 10 rounds – slowing down the race.
Lewis Hamilton, so often a master at the COTA track, had already endured a miserable weekend. The seven-time champion had played second fiddle to Russell in the Sprint events and suffered the embarrassment of a P19 qualification on Saturday. His Sunday went even worse when he span at Turn 19, the corner where Russell had crashed, and beached his Mercedes in the gravel. Hamilton's second retirement of 2024, and first non-mechanical DNF for over a year, was not how he wished to spend his final Mercedes US Grand Prix.
Leclerc's subsequent restart had him needing to check his mirrors for the closely following Verstappen, but he retained P1 with relative ease. The front positions remained static in the first stint of Pirelli tyre running, but there was action further back. George Russell provided much of the entertainment after starting from the pit lane. The Norfolk racer sliced through the order and eventually finished an admirable P6. But the position changes would soon reach the leading pack as pit stops began.
Ferrari brought Sainz in to try and undercut Verstappen by using fresher tyres to gain an advantage. Like the other front-running cars, he started on Pirelli's yellow-ringed medium compound and looked set for a two-stop strategy. Ferrari swapped him to the hard, and Sainz set about closing the gap to Verstappen, who had remained on the ageing mediums. Red Bull seemed to know their fight was with Norris and didn't cover off the Spaniard, allowing Sainz to inherit P2 four laps later when Verstappen stopped.
In contrast to expected tyre life forecasts, McLaren kept their two drivers on the softer medium compound well past half distance before switching to the hards. Norris pitted on Lap 31 and emerged behind his title antagonist. However, this later stop let the young Brit enjoy six-lap fresher Pirelli tyres than Verstappen. The Dutch driver had radioed his team to complain about Red Bull's performance on his latest tyres as Norris steadily closed in and set the stage for a grandstand finish.
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While Leclerc and Sainz stretched their legs out in front, Verstappen and Norris' races converged. Verstappen held track position but had older tyres and a less competitive package than Norris. Norris also benefitted from DRS and began probing for a way past the reigning champion. Turn 12 was the best spot to attempt a pass, but he repeatedly remained just a little too far behind on each lap.
Keeping tight to Verstappen's rear wing through Turn 11 had let Norris in with his best chance down the long DRS back straight to Turn 12. Verstappen knew he was under threat and defended the inside line. Norris pulled ahead in the braking zone, seemingly set to jump to P3 and enjoy a net gain of six points in the title race.
Verstappen, however, eased off his brakes to be ahead at the apex and promptly couldn't exit the corner without leaving space for the McLaren. Norris chose to run off the road and complete the overtake instead of slowing down to let Verstappen pass and try again later in the race. It proved the wrong decision.
Radio communications unsurprisingly had two sides to the story, with Verstappen claiming Norris overtook off the road. Norris, meanwhile, complained that he was ahead at the apex. The FIA handed Norris a five-second penalty for gaining an unfair advantage, just enough to demote him back to P4. It was a frustrating end to the race for the McLaren man, with Verstappen opening the gap in the championship with just five rounds remaining.
Yet the day was Ferrari's, and Leclerc jumped out of the cockpit to cheering mechanics waving the Italian flag. Sainz came home in P2 for the Scuderia's second 1-2 finish of the year, and they are now just eight points behind Red Bull in the World Constructors' Championship. A trip to Mexico City awaits this weekend for the second part of the American triple header.