Verstappen recovers from slow stop to take emotional US Grand Prix win

Max Verstappen has recovered from a slow pitstop to charge his way to victory in the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix a day after Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz died.

The Red Bull driver chased down Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the run to the flag, reaching it first to seal victory in both the race and the constructors’ championship for his team.

Hamilton held on to second in a race he looked a chance of winning while Leclerc rose from 12th on the grid to third.

Verstappen got a good start, taking the lead into the first corner as George Russell tagged Carlos Sainz to drop the pole-sitter to the back of the pack.

The Spaniard reported a suspected puncture further around the lap as he boxed at the end of Lap 1, where he retired with a water leak due to the contact.

Verstappen led the race from Hamilton and Lance Stroll in third, Russell fourth and Sebastian Vettel fifth at the end of the opening lap.

The field quickly strung out with large gaps developing between those in meaningful positions.

Sergio Perez made early progress, rising to fifth on Lap 5 after putting a move on Vettel.

The German’s Aston Martin team-mate fell victim to Russell down the back straight soon after, dropping Stroll to fourth.

A lap later, Perez was through too, his damaged front wing end plate breaking free as he did so.

After 10 laps, Verstappen had moved out to a 3.5s lead over Hamilton with Russell 6.2s off the back of this team-mate.

He had Perez for company, the Red Bull within DRS range but unable to launch a serious attack.

Further back, Leclerc’s charge forward had stalled in seventh, struggling to get within a second of sixth-placed Vettel.

The Ferrari driver finally found a way through on Lap 12, completing the move under brakes at the end of the back straight.

Hamilton pitted at the end of the lap, swapping onto the hard compound tyres to rejoin seventh on the road.

Verstappen and Russell stopped next time by, the race leader serviced in 2.6s to emerge just ahead of Stroll in second on track.

Russell fell to ninth after he served a five-second penalty for his part in the clash with Sainz at the opening corner.

It was Perez’s turn on Lap 14 to rejoin sixth, though an effective third once those who hadn’t stopped were accounted for.

The Safety Car was deployed on Lap 18 after Valtteri Bottas lost the Alfa Romeo Sauber at the penultimate corner and became beached in the gravel.

Yet to pit, it fell well for Leclerc who was able to take a cheap stop and rise to fourth, just behind Perez.

Others also pitted, washing the field after the first round of stops to leave Verstappen ahead of Hamilton, Perez, Leclerc, Russell, and Vettel.

The race restarted but remained green for only half a lap before Fernando Alonso and Stroll clashed on the back straight.

Alonso was able to carry on, returning to the pits with a damaged front wing, though Stroll was an immediate retirement.

The Alpine driver had been in the slipstream, pulling out to pass as the Aston Martin driver also moved to defend.

Alonso tagged the left-rear wheel of the car ahead, temporarily launching the Spaniard who noted Stroll’s late move over the team radio.

It immediately triggered another Safety Car with debris scattered across the circuit.

The Safety Car was withdrawn at the end of Lap 25, Verstappen once again heading the pack to the green flag.

He accelerated early, leaving him clear of Hamilton into the opening corner with the Mercedes driver similarly free of Perez.

Leclerc had a lunge at Perez at the end of the back straight in Lap 30, running well wide of the track and quickly handing the place back to the Red Bull driver.

A lap later, another dive saw the Monegasque driver steal the inside line and with it third place in aggressive style.

Hamilton pitted for the second time on Lap 35, fitting another new set of hard tyres.

It saw him feed out into clean air as he looked to undercut the race leader who held a 1.5s advantage prior to the stop.

Verstappen immediately reacted, an 11.1s stop when a problem with the front-left wheel gun delayed his exit.

It dropped the Dutchman behind Leclerc, who’d also stopped, while Hamilton took over at the effective head of the race.

Verstappen and Leclerc quickly began battling, the former making a move into Turn 1 on Lap 39 only for the Ferrari driver to steal the place back on exit.

Half a lap later, the Red Bull driver made the move stick down the back straight, setting off after Hamilton, who held a 6.3s advantage.

At the time, Vettel headed the race though yet to stop, in doing so chalking up his 3500th lap in the lead of a Formula 1 race before losing the place to Hamilton as they started Lap 41.

That delayed the Mercedes driver, his advantage reducing to just four seconds over Verstappen who had Leclerc running in his wheel tracks.

With 10 laps remaining, the gap between the front two had reduced to just two seconds, closing at a rate of about three tenths per lap.

As they started Lap 50, Verstappen was within DRS range.

The move was made at the end of the back straight soon after and, try as he might, Hamilton was powerless to do anything about it.

The seven-time champion tried to cut back, but that was covered off as Verstappen assumed the race lead once again.

He then held the advantage to the flag to take his 13th win of the year, equalling the record for most victories in a single season set by Michael Schumacher and Vettel.

Perez finished fourth ahead of Russell, who stopped late in an effort to secure the point for fastest lap, then Norris, Alonso, and Vettel, who completed a penultimate corner pass on Kevin Magnussen, while Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top 10.

Results: Formula 1 United States Grand Prix

Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship

Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship