Red Bull’s Max Verstappen continued his recent run of fine form at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas this weekend, claiming pole position for both today’s Grand Prix and yesterday’s Sprint race and winning both at a canter.

With the Formula 1 circus back in the USA, it’s interesting to reflect briefly on how the American corporate owner of the sport’s commercial rights, Liberty Media, has made a real impact in so many ways since acquiring them in 2017. Its share price back then was $20, and now it’s $107, reflecting its achievements and the ever-increasing global success of F1. This was reflected in the news from Texas that Apple has won the exclusive rights to broadcast Formula 1 in the USA for the next five years in a deal understood to be worth US$750m. Team values also continue to rise exponentially, with McLaren recently worth an eye-watering £3.5 billion. Despite this, the ten current outfits continue to receive regular high-value offers from third-party investment groups wanting to buy their place on the grid.

Ahead of this weekend, Piastri held a 22-point lead over Norris, with six Grands Prix and three Sprint races remaining,...

However, Ferrari’s share price has suffered of late despite its ongoing success in endurance racing, having won the iconic Le Mans 24 Hour race for the last three years. In stark contrast, the team last claimed a Formula 1 Constructors’ championship way back in 2008, and its latest winner of the Drivers’ title was Kimi Räikkönen a year before that. Benedetto Vigna, the CEO of the company, has made it clear that everyone in its F1 operation, including current drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, as well as team principal Fred Vasseur, must perform significantly better. Rumours suggest that the team is redoubling its efforts to recruit Christian Horner to replace Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc has also talked about the need to look elsewhere if his chances of winning a Drivers’ title with Ferrari continue to seem unlikely for the likeable Monégasque.

...next weekend we will witness the next developments in this gripping fight to be the 2025 world champion.

Elsewhere on the driver front, Mercedes announced during the build-up to this weekend that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli would continue to race for the Brackley-based team in 2026. This was hardly a surprise, once it had become clear that Verstappen would be contractually required to remain with Red Bull next year.

Meanwhile, following the previous round in Singapore, Williams’ Carlos Sainz was highly critical of the quality of Formula One Management’s live television coverage there. It’s always a difficult task to make instant decisions about what to include at any given time, but Sainz felt that there was an excessive use of pit garage shots of celebrities and drivers’ girlfriends at the same time that the live feed missed any showing of his multiple overtakes and also Fernando Alonso’s rapid closing on Lewis Hamilton over the closing laps. Hamilton, suffering from a braking issue, repeatedly drove off the track in an attempt to retain seventh place from the pursuing Alonso, who quickly reduced a forty-second deficit to his old rival to almost nothing come the chequered flag. Hamilton subsequently received a five-second penalty for his misbehaviour, handing seventh to the angry Spaniard.

Lando Norris edged closer to his teammate in the battle for the Drivers’ title

The Race

Turning to the on-track action this weekend, McLaren arrived in Texas following an internal review of the controversial opening lap in Singapore a fortnight ago when Lando Norris collided with teammate Oscar Piastri. The outfit subsequently found the British driver to blame, and the latter admitted in the USA that he would face unspecified sporting “repercussions”. Ahead of this weekend, Piastri held a 22-point lead over Norris, with six Grands Prix and three Sprint races remaining, and the Woking-based team was so hoping that any further issues between its drivers would be avoided as they fight to become world champion. It should be added, too, though, that on arrival in Texas five drivers could mathematically still take the title, even if Piastri and Norris were the clear favourites, but with Verstappen chasing on a real charge.

However, chaos was about to reign to his rear as Hülkenberg and Piastri made contact, and the latter then collided with his teammate, resulting in both McLarens being damaged and out of the race.

Being a sprint round, there was only a single free practice session, which took place early on Friday afternoon local time, as many fans used umbrellas for protection from the scorching sun. The action was interrupted by a short red flag stoppage after some debris from Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin had to be cleared from the track, and ultimately it was first and third fastest Norris and Piastri who sandwiched Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, with Aston Martin’s Alonso fourth best and Leclerc and Sainz suffering mechanical woes.

The qualifying period for yesterday’s Sprint race followed later on Friday afternoon, and it was the in-form reigning champion, Verstappen, who claimed pole position after outpacing Norris and Piastri, but the real star performance came from the veteran Hülkenberg, who was fourth quickest. However, Ferrari’s woes continued as its drivers could manage no better than the lower reaches of the top ten. This all set things up nicely for an eagerly anticipated Sprint race encounter yesterday afternoon, and, come the start, Verstappen sprinted up the hill and led through the opening left-hander. However, chaos was about to reign to his rear as Hülkenberg and Piastri made contact, and the latter then collided with his teammate, resulting in both McLarens being damaged and out of the race. Alonso also joined the early retirees after being tagged by the German’s Sauber. Following a five-lap Safety Car intervention, Verstappen maintained his lead ahead of Russell before the race had to be neutralised again after Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll had taken out the Haas of Esteban Ocon at Turn 1, and this time the safety car remained on track to the close, with the top trio comprising Verstappen, Russell and Sainz ahead of the pair of Ferraris.

The Sprint victor’s impressive Saturday continued in the subsequent qualifying hour for today’s Grand Prix, as the Dutch racer comfortably set the fastest lap ahead of Norris, Leclerc and Russell, although, in contrast, Piastri’s difficulties simply continued, as the Australian was only sixth quickest.

Charles Leclerc had to settle for third in the Grand Prix

The formation lap for this afternoon’s main event began at two pm local time (with Texas being six hours behind BST), and a massive and enthusiastic crowd lined the circuit, eager to see whether Verstappen could continue his attempt to achieve what had long seemed impossible, namely to close on the two McLarens still well ahead of him in the Drivers’ championship standings. When those famous five red lights were extinguished, it was the Red Bull pole sitter who led the charge towards Turn 1 and quickly established an early lead he was never to relinquish.

After dropping his pace to let his overheating tyres recover, Norris again closed on Leclerc and passed him for second place with five laps remaining.

To his rear, Leclerc, Hamilton and Piastri improved their grid positions, but Verstappen was soon extending his advantage out front. You had to feel for Antonelli on lap seven when he was clumsily hit by Sainz and dropped down the order, but at least he was able to continue, unlike his Spanish rival, who was forced to retire his damaged car. After a brief Virtual Safety Car period, racing resumed, and Norris set about closing on and then challenging second-placed Leclerc, but the driver from Glastonbury was accruing track limits aberrations and on lap 21 received a black-and-white warning flag that any further such misbehaviour would lead to a five-second penalty. However, Norris stuck to his task and on the same tour swept past Leclerc into second.

Pitstops for the leading contenders began with Leclerc two laps later as he switched his initial soft tyres to medium ones, and Piastri and Hamilton later followed suit, albeit changing from mediums to softs. On the 33rd tour Norris pitted for the same, but a delay meant he rejoined the track back behind Leclerc, with a need to pass him all over again. After dropping his pace to let his overheating tyres recover, Norris again closed on Leclerc and passed him for second place with five laps remaining. The chequered flag flew at the end of the 56th tour, and the podium trio consisted of Verstappen, Norris and Leclerc, with Hamilton, Piastri and Russell completing the top sextet of finishers.

George Russell finished second and sixth in Texas

This outcome left Norris’ points deficit to his teammate reduced to 14 and, equally significantly, Verstappen left Texas now just 40 points behind Piastri and 26 behind the other McLaren driver, with all still to play for on the Drivers’ title front.

Formula 1 logistics are always so impressive, and the paddock is now busy relocating south from sunny Austin, with the Mexico City Grand Prix set to take place next weekend, where we will witness the next developments in this gripping fight to be the 2025 world champion.



2025 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix
1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1hr34m0.161s
2 Lando Norris (McLaren) +7.959s
3 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +15.373s
4 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +28.536s
5 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +29.678s
6 George Russell (Mercedes) +33.456s
7 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +52.714s
8 Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) +57.249s
9 Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1m4.722s
10 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +1m10.001s
11 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1m13.209s
12 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +1m14.778s
13 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1m15.746s
14 Alex Albon (Williams) +1m 20.000s
15 Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1m23.043s
16 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +1m32.807s
17 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) Lapped
18 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) Lapped
19 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) Lapped
20 Carlos Sainz (Williams) Retired


2025 Formula 1 United States Sprint race
1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 37m58.229s
2 George Russell (Mercedes) +0.495s
3 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.791s
4 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +1.224s
5 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +1.825s
6 Alex Albon (Williams) +2.576s
7 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +2.976s
8 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +4.147s
9 Liam Lawson (Rcing Bulls) +4.804s
10 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +5.126s
11 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +5.649s
12 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +6.228s
13 Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) +6.624s
14 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +8.006s
15 Oliver Bearman (Haas) +13.576s
16 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) Retired
17 Esteban Ocon (Haas) Retired
18 Lando Norris (McLaren) Retired
19 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) Retired
20 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) Retired


2025 Drivers’ Championship
1 Oscar Piastri 346
2 Lando Norris 332
3 Max Verstappen 306

2025 Constructors’ Championship
1 McLaren 678
2 Mercedes 341
3 Ferrari 334