Verstappen dominates US Grand Prix to reduce deficit in F1 title race

Red Bull's Max Verstappen delivered a commanding performance at Austin's Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, leading every lap from pole position to take another step closer to the top in the Formula 1 championship chase.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who leads the drivers' standings, finished fifth. Meanwhile the Australian's teammate and closest rival Lando Norris claimed second place after overtaking last year's race winner, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with five laps remaining.

Piastri now holds a 14-point advantage over British partner Norris, with five races and two sprints left in the season. Verstappen, meanwhile, has reduced his deficit to 40 points – a remarkable turnaround from a 104-point gap at the end of August.

The Dutchman's dominant weekend included a victory in Saturday's sprint race, which he won from pole, while both McLarens retired after colliding. The combined triumphs gave Verstappen a maximum point haul, and further momentum in his pursuit of a fifth straight world title. McLaren has already clinched the constructors' championship.

Piastri, aiming to become Australia's first F1 champion since Alan Jones in 1980, said he remains confident despite the narrowing gap.

Norris initially gave up second place to Leclerc at the start of the race, but moved ahead of him again after 21 laps, in a hard-fought battle. Leclerc defended fiercely on the quicker but less durable soft tyres before pitting on the 23rd lap, dropping to ninth while former teammate Carlos Sainz, now with Williams, moved up to third, with Piastri cruising into fourth.

By that stage, Verstappen had already taken a 10-second lead over the rest of the field. With the pit stops cycled through, Leclerc reclaimed second place, six seconds behind Verstappen, and Norris again found himself forced to overtake – this time under threat of a track-limits penalty.

Norris made it through unscathed, crossing the finish line 7.9 seconds behind Verstappen and 7.4 seconds clear of Leclerc.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella noted that Norris might have challenged Verstappen for the title had Leclerc's defense not delayed him.

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, just 1.1 seconds ahead of Piastri, while former teammate George Russell of Mercedes, who won last time out in Singapore, came in sixth. Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda took seventh, followed by Sauber's Nico Hülkenberg and Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso claiming the tenth spot for the final point.

The race briefly slowed under a virtual safety car on the seventh lap, after Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli and Sainz made contact while fighting for seventh, forcing the Spaniard to retire. The race stewards handed Sainz a five-place grid penalty and two penalty points for causing the collision.

Sainz's teammate Alex Albon was also involved in an opening-corner clash with Sauber's Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.

Officials had designated the weekend in Texas a "heat hazard," although race temperatures were lower than expected, hovering around 28.6°C (83.5°F).