Charles Leclerc wins the US Grand Prix in Austin ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz. World champion Max Verstappen secured third place because Lando Norris was handed a five-second penalty for his overtaking maneuver against the Dutchman.
20.10.2024, 22:55
20.10.2024, 22:59
SDA
Pole position for Lando Norris, with Max Verstappen next to him on the front row - for the victory in the main race in Austin, many things pointed to a duel between the Briton and the Dutchman. However, this assumption was already rendered moot in the first corner after the start. Norris got off to a quick start, but because he only closed the left-hand side half-heartedly, Verstappen pushed into the small gap as he braked with his usual consistency.
To avoid the collision, Norris had to give way, which took him extremely far to the outside of the hairpin. Verstappen - and the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz along with the championship leader - passed the McLaren driver, who found himself in fourth place. Leclerc went the opposite way to Norris. Starting from fourth on the grid, he took the lead.
The Monegasque then set by far the best pace. By the 25th lap, when Verstappen pulled into the pits to change tires, his lead had already increased to more than eleven seconds. Leclerc also switched to the hard tires shortly afterwards and was back in front from the 32nd lap - and remained in control of the action on the Circuit of the Americas until the finish.
Penalty against Norris helps Verstappen onto the podium
The former Sauber driver secured his eighth GP victory, his third this season after Monaco and Italy, with a lead of 8.5 seconds. Sainz ensured that Ferrari was able to celebrate its second one-two victory of the season. At the end of March in Australia, however, the Spaniard had come out on top against his team-mate.
The Ferrari duo was not joined on the podium by Lando Norris, as was the case in Melbourne. The 24-year-old did manage to overtake Verstappen a few laps before the end. However, both rivals went off the track in the process. Both the Dutchman, who reclaimed his third position, and the Briton felt they were in the right and communicated actively with the pits. It was not until the last of the 56 laps that the stewards announced that the overtaking maneuver was incorrect - the five-second penalty meant that Norris fell just behind Verstappen.
In the championship standings, Verstappen, who had already won the sprint race in Austin on Saturday, increased his lead over his closest rival to 57 points. There are still five Grands Prix and two sprints to go before the end of the season.
