Verstappen’s lights-to-flag win shakes up F1 title race ahead of Mexico

Max Verstappen claimed a commanding lights-to-flag victory at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, following up his Saturday Sprint win at the Circuit of The Americas. 

The result tightened the Drivers’ Championship, as Lando Norris salvaged second place for McLaren, passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc late in the race. Oscar Piastri struggled to fifth, allowing Verstappen to reduce the gap to the championship leader significantly.

Some of the drivers shared insights about their race weekend as they spoke about their experiences.

Lewis Hamilton: “I’m finally feeling like I’m on top of the car”

Lewis Hamilton marked an encouraging weekend with fourth-place finishes in both the Sprint and Grand Prix, feeling he had made a breakthrough with Ferrari.

“I’m finally feeling like I’m on top of the car,” Hamilton said. “I think we still have some improvements we could make. We can definitely extract more, particularly on my side, because Qualifying wasn’t as good as I had hoped, and the start wasn’t great. 

“There are always areas to improve, but it’s positive going into the next race, so I hope we can have an even better weekend.”

After dropping back from Norris and Leclerc early on Sunday, Hamilton passed his teammate before Leclerc pitted. Going longer on tyres relegated him to fourth, but he was pleased with the team points haul.

Red Bull: Verstappen making history

Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Laurent Mekies, praised Verstappen’s dominant weekend, highlighting the Dutchman’s consistency and focus as he chases a fifth consecutive Drivers’ Championship.

“I think watching Max driving is watching history in the making … He surprises us every time he goes out on track … He has been investing himself so hard into supporting the team, supporting the project to get back to competitiveness,” Mekies said.

Verstappen’s win in Austin, combined with his Sprint and pole position, reduced his deficit to Piastri from 63 to 40 points, with five races and two Sprints remaining. 

Mekies noted that while Red Bull is not dominant, they have closed much of their earlier gap.

Charles Leclerc: “I was a little bit worried”

Leclerc secured third place, ending a podium drought since Belgium in July. Starting on soft tyres while the rest of the top 15 began on mediums, the Monegasque overtook Norris early and defended his position before pitting.

“I was a little bit worried when I saw that I was the only car on softs at the beginning, but I kind of knew that it was a bit of a risky move … We at least gained a position, and that helped us a lot for the rest of the race,” Leclerc said.

Despite losing second to Norris late, he enjoyed the battle: “I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, today I lost out at the end, but I had fun in the car … 

“I’m very happy overall because it has been a tough second part of the year, and to be back on the podium here after what was a difficult FP1 with a gearbox problem, we did well, so I’m happy.”

George Russell: fine margins in Qualifying

George Russell finished sixth, reflecting on a tight opening lap and missed opportunities in qualifying. He noted that Mercedes’ fight for P2 in the Constructors’ Championship remains tight, with the team only seven points ahead of Ferrari and three points behind Red Bull.

Rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli also endured a difficult race after a spin caused by Carlos Sainz, recovering to 13th place. “It’s a shame, it’s a pity … I tried to avoid hitting the apex, just to give him a bit more space, but I ended up getting taken out. It’s a shame, but we move forward,” Antonelli said.

Race takeaway and next stop

Verstappen’s dominant performance has injected fresh momentum into the Drivers’ Championship, while Norris and Leclerc continue to battle closely for podium finishes. Hamilton and Mercedes appear to be gaining consistency, but fine margins remain crucial.

Formula 1 now heads to the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend, with the title fight as tight as ever.