McLaren is no longer able to compete for victories, while Red Bull, with Max Verstappen, is once again in contention for the Drivers’ Championship. The Dutch driver, starting from pole, controlled the United States Grand Prix decisively: he set the pace with a string of fast laps and, once he built a comfortable lead, managed the race to secure the 68th career win, marking his fifth victory of the season and fourth at Austin.
The four-time world champion leaves Texas with maximum points: two poles and two wins (Sprint Race and GP) allowed him to recover 25 points on Oscar Piastri, reducing the gap to 40 points with five rounds remaining. The RB21 proved clearly to be the most competitive car on track, leaving McLaren on the defensive after the Sprint race crash that eliminated both of their papaya cars.
Without Sprint data, Woking engineers opted for a conservative setup, raising the MCL39 slightly to avoid excessive plank wear with a full fuel load. The McLarens seemed to have lost the one-second advantage they enjoyed over the summer, and Lando Norris had to settle for second place after a thrilling battle with Charles Leclerc.
The British driver was cautious: he completed two on-track overtakes on Leclerc (losing out at the start and during the pit stop) while ensuring he secured crucial points in the fight against his teammate, who continues to struggle. Norris managed his soft tire stint expertly: whenever he closed on the Ferrari, tire temperatures rose in dirty air. Verstappen was not his target; Lando’s battle was with Oscar, reducing the gap to the championship lead to just 14 points.
Norris lost a place in the pit lane despite requesting an earlier stop to attempt an overcut on Leclerc, but the team did not respond. To make matters worse, Norris suffered another slow stop (3.8 seconds), confirming that pit stops remain a weak point for the reigning Constructors’ Champions.
Oscar Piastri was never in contention: after contributing to the Sprint crash at turn one, he gained only one position from his sixth-place grid slot in the race. He lacked the pace to challenge, aware that McLaren had not pushed the setup on a track that should have suited the MCL39. Verstappen’s shadow looms over the Australian, who seems to have lost much of the confidence that once defined his steel character. Fifth place was disappointing for Piastri, continuing the trend since his last victory in the Netherlands, scoring only 37 points compared to Max’s 101—a significant gap.
Given Friday’s performance, it was unexpected to see both Ferraris ahead of the championship leader. The team finally extracted the potential from the SF-25. Maranello was bold in starting Leclerc on soft tires, allowing him to claim second place early on using the red tires’ superior grip, maintaining a pace perhaps even the team had not anticipated. Leclerc eventually ceded the position to Norris, who benefitted from tire advantage in the second stint after being forced onto medium tires.
Leclerc delivered an impeccable performance, returning Ferrari to the podium for the first time since Spa. This marks his sixth podium of the season, all achieved by Charles. Ferrari remains third in the Constructors’ standings, seven points behind Mercedes, while Red Bull, with both cars scoring points (Max’s victory and Yuki Tsunoda’s seventh place), trails by just three points.
Ferrari’s Austin result signals a return to form, reinforced by President John Elkann’s confidence. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, 13 seconds behind his teammate, struggling with understeer but finishing ahead of Piastri. Maranello still believes in challenging for second in the Constructors’ Championship and must confirm their Texas resurgence in Mexico.
Mercedes struggled: George Russell, boosted by his contract renewal, finished a lowly sixth as the W16 underperformed compared to Singapore. The team was disappointed as Kimi Antonelli could have scored in the top ten, but Carlos Sainz’s lap 7 collision relegated him to the back. Antonelli’s only takeaway from COTA was fastest lap, with 13th place meaningless.
Yuki Tsunoda repeated his strong Sprint start, climbing to seventh ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber. He spoiled Ollie Bearman’s race with a borderline maneuver that spun the English driver on lap 36 but still secured two valuable points for Haas.
The top ten was completed by Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, followed by Liam Lawson in the Red Bull and his teammate, while the rest of the field simply followed behind.
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