Charles Leclerc wins US GP, Lando Norris penalised for Max Verstappen pass
Charles Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 as Lando Norris penalised in late battle with F1 title rival Max Verstappen.
Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari 1-2 to claim an impressive victory at the United States Grand Prix as Lando Norris picked up a penalty in a late battle with F1 title rival Max Verstappen.
A fantastic start helped Leclerc storm into the lead at Turn 1 as he went from fourth to first, having taken advantage of an early duel between championship protagonists Verstappen and Norris.
Verstappen dived down the inside of polesitter Norris into Turn 1 to briefly grab the lead, but both drivers ran wide at the apex, enabling Leclerc to capitalise and sneak his Ferrari past.
From there, Leclerc cruised to his third win of the season - and the eighth of his career - as teammate Carlos Sainz completed a 1-2 for Ferrari, having undercut Verstappen’s Red Bull during the pit stops.
But Leclerc’s victory was overshadowed by a thrilling and contentious late squabble between Verstappen and Norris.
Norris finished third on the road but was handed a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage when he overtook Verstappen at Turn 12 on Lap 52.
That dropped him to fourth behind Verstappen, who had resisted several earlier attacks from Norris in a nail-biting finish that ultimately resulted in the reigning world champion further extending his advantage in the title race.
Oscar Piastri took fifth in the second McLaren, while George Russell passed Sergio Perez’s Red Bull on the final lap to grab sixth and complete an impressive recovery drive from the pit lane.
Behind Perez, Nico Hulkenberg scored more points for Haas in eighth, while Liam Lawson finished ninth on his return to RB, despite starting from the very back of the grid.
Williams stand-in Franco Colapinto continued his eye-catching start to life in F1 by claiming the final point on offer in 10th.
Lewis Hamilton’s hellish weekend ended in the gravel after just three laps as the seven-time world champion spun off at Turn 19, having made a brilliant start to rise to 12th.
