(Austin) Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari its first victory at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix since 2018 with a strong start and sparkling performance on Sunday, and Max Verstappen extended his lead at the top of the standings by finishing third, in front of Lando Norris.
Posted at 5:28 p.m.
Updated at 5:46 p.m.
Jim Vertuno
Associated Press
Verstappen (Red Bull) reached the podium by virtue of a five-second penalty awarded to Norris (McLaren) due to an off-track overtake at the expense of the Dutchman.
Verstappen immediately complained about the maneuver on the radio, while Norris insisted his rival had also exceeded the track limit.
This battle played out over several laps as both drivers looked for podium finishes. The penalty relegated Norris to fourth, costing him valuable points in the title fight.
Verstappen’s lead is now 57 points with five Grands Prix remaining in the season, including two with sprint races.
Leclerc earned his third victory of the season, helping Ferrari to a double as Carlos Sainz Jr finished second. Kimi Raikkonen was the last Scuderia driver to win at the Circuit of the Americas, back in 2018. But the main battle of the race took place behind the red cars, as Verstappen and Norris fought for every centimeter for a dozen loops.
Verstappen has not won a Grand Prix since June and Norris has since quietly closed the gap. The three-time world champion nevertheless added five points to his lead in Texas.
Norris started from the lead position with Verstappen alongside him. Their battle at the first corner saw Leclerc move from fourth to first.
Quebecer Lance Stroll started in 13e position and was 12e during the intervention of the safety car following the exit of the track of Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). He himself missed a turn on the restart, slipping to 19e and last position.
Due to Aston Martin’s obvious lack of pace, the 25-year-old Montrealer was never able to get anywhere near the top 10, finishing 15th.e. His teammate Fernando Alonso, who started seventh, finished 13e.
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