USA Grand Prix
Tough duel for third place: Verstappen ahead of Norris
The crucial scene right after the start. photo
© Eric Gay/AP/dpa
Immediately after the start the first crucial scene occurs. Lando Norris loses the lead and misses the victory. But also Max Verstappen. But they have a tough duel.
Max Verstappen stepped up in the tough duel with Lando Norris less than 24 hours after the hoped-for return to old times. After his victory in the sprint race, the 27-year-old Dutchman secured third place at the US Grand Prix and further extended his championship lead. However, also thanks to a decision by the race stewards: Shortly before the end, Norris received a five-second penalty for his overtaking maneuver in which he left the track and finished fourth.
Victory at the Circuit of the Americas was secured by Charles Leclerc, who, as the beneficiary of the starting duel between the two World Championship rivals Verstappen and Norris, took the lead very early on. The Spaniard Carlos Sainz came third in the second Scuderia car. Nico Hülkenberg took a strong eighth place in the Haas.
In the World Championship fight, Verstappen had already increased his lead again for the first time in weeks with his victory in the sprint – but only by two points to 54. By coming third in the main race ahead of Norris, he grew to 57 points.
Decision made in the first few meters
Austin kept his word again and offered a spectacle right from the first few meters. Norris got away well, with 31 thousandths of a second he secured pole for the sixth time this season, but Verstappen was not at all dissatisfied. Second starting position doesn’t have to be a disadvantage at the Circuit of the Americas. After an uphill section with an incline of up to 15 percent, the course makes a tight left turn and goes downhill again.
Norris quickly finished fourth
So Norris moved inside, but that didn’t make Verstappen nervous, he held on. But everything was fair. The two World Championship duels rode wheel to wheel, but had to have plenty of space out of the curve. And Leclerc took advantage, he pushed past the two on the inside and took the lead.
Sainz also passed Norris. The Brit, whose nerves had been taunted by the Red Bull camp before and during the days in Texas, had lost first place within a few seconds and was initially chasing Leclerc, Verstappen and Sainz. “We can win the race, we can lose it, it’s up to me,” he said before the start.
The Ferrari had already made people sit up and take notice in the sprint and also in qualifying, in contrast to the two Mercedes. Record world champion Lewis Hamilton had a weekend to forget in his beloved America. In the sprint qualifying he was slowed down by a competitor’s spin while on a top lap, and in the 100 kilometer race he couldn’t do better than sixth place. A few hours later, qualifying for the Grand Prix ended early: 19th and second to last.
And then in the race that Hamilton has already won five times: he went off course with the significantly changed Mercedes and was no longer able to continue. With his neon-colored shoes and gloves, he walked awkwardly in the gravel around his car, and people shouted his name from the stands.
Smell of gasoline in the Sainz Ferrari and a problem in the Verstappen car
Hamilton’s personal disaster triggered a short safety car phase; when the race was reopened, Leclerc defended his lead. In general, everything remained the same at the front until Sainz noticed the smell of gasoline in the cockpit and was worried about the Ferrari’s engine. And then Verstappen got the message that something was wrong with his car.
All false alarms. However, Verstappen lost a place to Sainz during the pit stop, but still stayed ahead of Norris, who stayed out significantly longer on his first set of tires. And that paid off. With the fresher tire, Norris caught up with Verstappen.
Lap after lap he tried to get past Verstappen, the World Championship duels were a bit among themselves and gave the US fans an entertaining duel before Norris struck in turn one and overtook Verstappen. Both went off the track, which in turn called the race stewards into action and caused hectic radio messages.
