Charles Leclerc Leads Ferrari to Glory in Austin as Norris’s Penalty Hands Verstappen a Podium Spot.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz delivered a one-two punch for the Scuderia at the United States Grand Prix, leaving the Texan crowd in awe as Lando Norris, despite his best efforts, watched a podium finish slip through his fingers thanks to an untimely penalty.
Norris, starting from pole, seemed to have it all under control. A side-by-side tango with Max Verstappen nudged him wide, opening the door for Leclerc to slip through. P1 belonged to the Monegasque from that point, and he never looked back.
Leclerc was in cruise control, unbothered and unchallenged, as he marched to a commanding victory. Behind him, team mate Carlos Sainz executed a textbook undercut during the pit stops to leapfrog Verstappen. The Spaniard showed his mettle, holding second place with a firm grip, finishing 8.5 seconds adrift of Leclerc but comfortably ahead of the Dutchman.
Ferrari, after a season of mixed fortunes, finally seemed to have all their ducks in a row.
As the race neared its crescendo, Norris launched a spirited attack on Verstappen, snatching third place with a daring move. But not without consequence. Red Bull’s radios lit up, insisting Norris had breached track limits. The stewards agreed, slapping the Briton with a five-second time penalty.
Cue a drop to fourth place, gifting Verstappen a podium spot.
Was it a fair call? Depends on whether you ask Red Bull or McLaren, but Norris won’t be too keen on rewatching the race highlights anytime soon.
Oscar Piastri quietly secured fifth place, while George Russell, starting from the pit lane, clawed his way to a respectable sixth in his Mercedes. Sergio Perez salvaged seventh for Red Bull, while Nico Hulkenberg reminded everyone why Haas still believes in him, grabbing eighth.
Liam Lawson, fresh off his return to the grid, took ninth for RB, while Franco Colapinto’s P10 finish for Williams was a feather in the cap for the rookie.
Further down, it was a day to forget for Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly, and Fernando Alonso, who all missed the points. Yuki Tsunoda’s spin relegated him to 14th, while Lance Stroll and Alex Albon’s outings were equally underwhelming.
The Kick Saubers of Bottas and Zhou still struggled in the wilderness, while Esteban Ocon nabbed the fastest lap, stealing a point from Williams’ Colapinto.
Lewis Hamilton’s race ended prematurely, the Brit spinning out and beaching his Mercedes in the gravel. What a United States grand prix.
“Very happy,” Leclerc said post-race, grinning ear to ear. “It hasn’t been an easy weekend. I struggled a bit with the car, but in the race, it just came together. Yesterday’s Sprint had us a little worried, but today we delivered. A one-two for Ferrari – what more could we ask for?”
Photo Credits: Formula One Content Pool
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