Ferrari was the great winner of the United States GP with a brilliant double, with victory for Charles Leclerc and second place for Carlos Sainz. Although Max Verstappen also emerged victorious in Austin, winning the particular fight against Lando Norris with the third place on the podium. The Dutchman saved the Englishman’s harassment and added three more points; Now he is 57 ahead.
Spectacular departure
Norris wasted the pole position trying to close Verstappen, so Leclerc slipped in and took the lead, with Sainz third.
For the sixth time this season, Verstappen and Norris started from the front row of the grid, the two rivals for the title next to each other. On the previous five occasions, a 2-2 draw and a win for Russell (in Austria). The Dutchman won in Imola and Montmeló, and the Englishman won the game – always from pole – in Zandvoort, at Max’s house, and in the previous race in Singapore.
On this occasion, neither for one nor for the other. The McLaren, also from the preferred position, was not the fastest at the start. The Englishman screwed up, who was careful to close the gap on the Red Bull, they both went to the outside of the curve, and Leclerc took advantage of it to sneak onto the highway that they left him on the inside. The Monegasque, attentive and skilled, took the lead in the first corner, while Carlos Sainz rose to third place. Norris was backing into the room… having left from the pole.
In the early stages, the toughest fight was between Verstappen and Sainz for second position, with the Spaniard very combative, seeking to tickle the Dutchman. Hamilton went wide under the first brake and got stuck in the gravel, out of action. The stewards brought out the safety car and the race took a break.
Sainz, second
The man from Madrid hugged Verstappen and was able to pass him at the first stop (v. 22) to place provisional second
At the restart, Leclerc tried to stretch and get away from the noise, while Sainz hugged Verstappen again. Norris was beginning to lose his grip on the Spaniard’s Ferrari. However, starting on the tenth lap, Sainz reported on the radio that he was smelling gasoline in the car. Everything was a scare.
Leclerc, pulling hard in his own way, consolidated his lead against Verstappen who was not able to keep up with him (in 20 laps he dropped to 8 seconds). Just as Norris couldn’t get close to Sainz and saw the possibility of cutting the Dutchman receding.
The change of positions was cooked up in the stops. The first to stop was Carlos Sainz (v. 22), who was able to execute a undercut over the Dutchman and snatched provisional second place from him when the Red Bull team stopped (v. 26). Leclerc was able to retain the lead, and Norris was unable to advance any positions (4th).
Final section
With the two Ferraris in front, Norris livened up the final part of the race by attacking Verstappen for third place
Upon returning from the stops, the two Ferraris commanded the race with authority, Leclerc with 5-6 seconds over Sainz, who in turn distanced Verstappen, third, by 5-6s. However, Norris was getting dangerously close to the Red Bull based on fast laps. With 15 laps remaining the Englishman began the harassment, he was only 1.6s away, threatening with the DRS.
The siege was overwhelming, constant but controlled, with Lando measuring the distances, waiting for the right time and place. The Englishman’s first attack came with nine laps remaining (v. 47/56), but the Red Bull defended itself well, closing the gaps. The second, with five laps to go, but Verstappen was a master at blocking with an inferior car. In the third attack, Norris passed the Dutchman, both cars leaving the track.
Verstappen complained of having been pushed off the road and the stewards penalized the Englishman with five seconds for taking advantage by racing off the track, and saved the Dutchman’s podium.
For his part, Fernando Alonso, who started from 7th place (due to the absence of Russell, from the pit-lane), had a bad start and dropped to 10th, then overtaken by Hülkenberg and Lawson. The Asturian wandered almost the entire race in very late positions and finished far from the points, in 13th position, his third worst result of the year
#Ferrari #signs #double #Austin #Verstappen #wins #tense #duel #Norris
