By Mark Karp
Newly crowned World Champion Max Verstappen took the lead with seven laps to go in his Red Bull to win the United States GP at Austin, Texas. Lewis Hamilton, after taking the lead when Verstappen had a slow stop, finished in his Mercedes GP in second place, 5.023 seconds behind. Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari took third place, 7.501 seconds behind the winner.
Red Bull Racing clinched the Constructors’ World Championship.
Sergio Perez (8.203s) in the second Red Bull was fourth, followed by George Russell (44.815s) in the second Mercedes was fifth, Lando Norris (53.785s) in the McLaren-Mercedes was sixth, Fernando Alonso (55.078s) in the Alpine-Renault, after a mid-race crash, came back for seventh, Sebastian Vettel (1m05.354s) in the Aston Martin-Mercedes was eighth, Kevin Magnussen (1m05.834s) in the Haas-Ferrari was ninth and Yuki Tsunoda (1m10.919s) in the AlphaTauri took the final point in tenth place.
Before the start on a warm Texas afternoon Sainz starts on pole with Verstappen alongside on the front row, Hamilton and Russell on the second row, Stroll and Norris on row three, Bottas and Albon on row four and Perez and Vettel rounding out the top ten.
Two stops are expected during the race after the top runners starting on medium tyres. The first twelve on medium tyres, the Haas and Alpine drivers starting on hard tyres. Ocon starting from the pitlane.
At the appointed time the grid was cleared and the cars came around on the formation lap. The lights went out and the race started with Sainz gets a slower start and Verstappen taking the lead. Russell hits Sainz and the Ferrari spins. Verstappen leads with Hamilton, Stroll, Russell, Vettel, Norris, Perez, Gasly, Albon and Leclerc tenth. Sainz pits and retires.
On lap 2 Perez passes Norris for sixth. Leclerc passes Albon for ninth.
On lap 3 Bottas passes Albon fo tenth. Perez passes Vettel for fifth.
On lap 5 Latifi spins. Russell passes Stroll for third. Perez has some front wing damage.
On lap 6 Russell is handed a five-second penalty for causing the collision with Sainz at the start.
The part of Perez’s front wing that was flapping has come off – we will see what effect it has on his performance.
On lap 7 Gasly passes Norris in the DRS zone for eighth place.
Perez is closing on Russell in third.
Many drivers are struggling on their left front tyres.
Verstappen complains about the gusting wind.
At lap 10 Verstappen leads Hamilton by 3.8 seconds, followed by Russell (10.9s), Perez (12.2s), Stroll (16.4s), Vettel (18.7s), Leclerc (19.3s). Gasly (26.9s). Norris (27.8s), and Alonso (31.9s) in tenth place.
Bottas, Tsunoda and Ricciardo pit.
On lap 12 Gasly pits. Leclerc passes Vettel for sixth.
On lap 13 Hamilton pits for hard tyres and rejoins in seventh.
Red Bull tells Verstappen that he is free to push.
On lap 14 Verstappen pits from the lead for hard tyres and he rejoins in second just ahead of Stroll. Russell pits as well for hard tyres and takes his penalty and rejoins in ninth. Leclerc passes Stroll for third.
On lap 15 Perez pits from the lead for hard tyres and rejoins in sixth.
O lap 16 Stroll pits for another set of medium tyres and rejoins eighth.
Ocon passes Schumacher for ninth. Russell passes Alonso for sixth.
On lap 18 Bottas spins and is in the gravel trap. The safety car is out.
Leclerc pits. Vettel, Alonso, Tsunoda, Ocon, Magnussen, Schumacher, Albon and Latifi all pit as well.
Behind the safety car Verstappen leads Hamilton, Perez, Leclerc, Russell, Vettel, Stroll, Gasly, Alonso and Norris in tenth, followed by Tsunoda, Ocon, Schumacher, Zhou, Magnussen, Ricciardo, Albon and Latifi in 18th place.
Hamilton is complaining to his team that he is struggling with his brakes.
At the end of lap 21 the safety car comes in and the race resumes with Verstappen leading with Hamilton right behind.
Alonso is following Stroll close behind and Alonso clips the rear of the Aston Martin and the two crash, Alonso flying in the air.
The safety car is out immediately, and there is much debris on the back straight.
Alonso limps to the pits and they change his front wing.
Behind the safety car Verstappen leads Hamilton, Perez, Leclerc, Russell, Vettel, Gasly, Tsunoda, Norris, Schumacher, Ocon, Magnussen, Ricciardo, Albon, Latifi, Alonso and Zhou in 17th.
At the end of lap 25 the safety car comes in and the race continues with Verstappen in the lead with Hamilton and Perez following.
Magnussen passes Ocon for 11th.
On lap 26 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m41.378s.
Verstappen complains about his drivability, and the team tells him to change an engine setting.
Leclerc tells the team “they are so quick on the straight”, as he chases Perez in third.
Leclerc makes a run and tries to pass Perez, but goes wide and Perez keeps the place.
On lap 29 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m41.045s.
The next lap Leclerc makes another run and this time runs down the inside and passes Perez for third place.
At lap 30 Verstappen leads Hamilton by 2.1 seconds, followed by Leclerc (6.0s), Perez (6.6s), Russell (7.7s), Vettel (10.6s), Gasly (16.6s), Tsunoda (17.3s), Norris (18.5s), and Schumacher (19.6s) in tenth place.
Gasly is given a 5-second penalty for having hung back too far on the previous safety car period.
On lap 33 Gasly pits for hard tyres and takes his time penalty and rejoins last.
Verstappen continues to complain about the wind.
Alonso passes Albon for 10th.
Tsunoda and Schumacher pit.
On lap 35 Hamilton pits from second for hard tyres and rejoins sixth. Norris pits for hard tyres and rejoins in 15th.
On lap 36 Verstappen pits from the lead for hard tyres and has a slow stop and rejoins sixth. Leclerc pits and comes out in front of Verstappten.
Perez leads Russell, Vettel, Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen.
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On lap 37 Russell pits from second for hard tyres and rejoins sixth.
On lap 36 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m40.395s.
Verstappen chases Leclerc in fourth.
On lap 37 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m39.541s.
On lap 39 Perez pits from the lead for medium tyres and rejoins fifth.
Verstappen dives inside of Leclerc at turn 1, but Leclerc comes back out of the corner and gets the place back.
Down the back straight Verstappen comes back and takes third.
Perez passes Russell for fifth.
At lap 40 Vettel leads Hamilton by 0.1 seconds, followed Verstappen (3.7s), Leclerc (4.1s), Perez (11.1s), Russell (13.8s), Magnussen (23.3s), Alonso (25.5s), Ocon (27.1s) and Albon (29.4s) in tenth place.
On lap 41 Hamilton passes Vettel for the lead.
On lap 42 Vettel pits and has a slow stop.
Norris passes Tsunoda for 11th.
On lap 43 Norris passes Zhou for tenth.
Hamilton leads Verstappen by. 2.4 seconds with
Latifi is given a 5-second penalty for pushing Schumacher wide.
On lap 44 Norris passes Albon for ninth place.
On lap 45 Norris passes Ocon for eighth. Ocon pits.
On lap 46 Verstappen has closed the gap to Hamilton to 1,9 seconds.
Can Hamilton on hard tyres hold off Verstappen on medium tyres?
On lap 50 Verstappen passes Hamilton in DRS for the lead, Hamilton fights back but Verstappen keeps the lead.
At lap 50 Verstappen leads Hamilton by 0.8 seconds, followed by Leclerc (5.3s), Perez (7.1s), Russell (19.1s), Alonso (44.6s), and Norris (45.8s) in seventh.
Vettel passes Albon for ninth.
On lap 52 Hamilton continues to stay within a second of Verstappen, Red Bull warns Verstappen to not run wide as his has gone outside track limits three times already.
On lap 54 Hamilton has now gone outside of track limits three times as well.
Tsunoda passes Albon for tenth.
On lap 55 Russell pits for soft tyres and rejoins still in fifth.
Apple CEO waves the chequered flag for Verstappen ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc.
Vettel passes Magnussen on the final lap.
Russell takes the fastest lap of the race at 1m38.788s.
