UNITED STATES GP – Max Verstappen wins a thrilling race in Austin after passing Lewis Hamilton

Testing & Race Reports

Max Verstappen has won a thrilling United States Grand Prix after managing to pass Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of the race. Last years title rivals went wheel-to-wheel as they fought for victory, with the Dutchman edging out of the DRS zone allowing him to maintain his lead during the closing stages.

Verstappen steadily closed the gap after Hamilton opened a three-second lead with a quarter of the race to go, he found his way pass after several changes of lead with four laps to go. But the Mercedes just lacked that little bit more pace to hold of Verstappen, as Hamilton lead a race for the first time this season.

the pace of the new world champion was just too much, and Verstappen caught and passed Hamilton with six laps to go, the seven-time champion defenceless against the formidable straight-line speed of the Red Bull. The story of the race was again never count out Verstappen as he has taken wins all season from where ever he has started.

Mercedes looked as well to be able to follow and fight Red Bull but mistakes cost them, as well as a botched stop which cost Hamilton eleven seconds. On the new medium tyres, though, Verstappen showed the form that has seen him dominate this season.

The Dutchman on the medium tyres lunged passed Hamilton in the closing stages of the race taking the lead with three laps to go. Verstappen’s thirteenth win of the season puts the Dutchman level with Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel on F1’s single-season win record, with thirteen win one in a season for the multiple world champions.

His win allowed Red Bull to clinch the constructors’ title for the first time since 2013, securing a double after Verstappen clinched the drivers’ title last time out in Japan. Verstappen dedicated the win to Dietrich Mateschitz after the Red Bull owner’s death the day before, while Hamilton sent his condolences.

Verstappen admitted he had “got a bit emotional” but told his team they “deserved” the title double as he spoke over the radio on the slowing-down lap.

Hamilton who finished second said “I’m shattered. The car was a handful today. It felt amazing to be in the lead. That’s something we have worked so hard on as a team through the year. I had so much hope. We will keep pushing, we’ll try to give it everything we can in the next three. It will come to us at some stage

Red Bull had to outscore Ferrari by nineteen points, but the team were left single-handed following Carlos Sainz retirement on the opening lap following contact with the Mercedes of George Russell, which resulted with the Spaniard retiring with a water leak. Russell picked up a time penalty before recovering to fifth, thirty-six seconds behind Perez, he also took fastest lap.

Charles Leclerc was third after recovering from a ten-place grid penalty for power unit change, giving Ferrari a podium after teammate Sainz’s retirement. The safety cars allowed him to gain positions in the pit stops and jump both Perez and Russell.

He said, “Yeah satisfied in a way because we started P12 and a podium is an achievement. Looking at the race it’s obviously a bit disappointing we had the pace but we had too much deg at the end of the race and we will work but P3 starting from P12 is not that bad.”

Sainz who started from pole position lost out to Verstappen at the start before being shunted into Russell as the Spaniard locked up and spun at the start resulting in the water leak, and his eventual retirement.

Lando Norris brought his McLaren home sixth finishing nearly a second and a half ahead of the Alpine of Fernando Alonso. Norris was quick in the closing stages holding off Alonso finishing a second and a half behind Norris, despite a airborne crash with his teammate for next year Lance Stroll.

The two crashed on lap twenty-three with the debris being spread all over the circuit bringing out the safety car. The accident remains under investigation but will surely be one of the best drives of Alonso’s twenty-year career, as he charged through the field following the incidents at the start.

Sebastian Vettel brought his Aston Martin home eighth finishing two hundredths ahead of Kevin Magnussen, but as the four-time champion reaches his final races it was a good afternoon. The German lead the race and was on course for a good result before a sixteen-second stop dropped him down to eighth, he then passed Magnussen on the final lap.

Magnussen was ninth about half a second behind Vettel, and finished ahead of Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top ten. Esteban Ocon brought his Alpine home eleventh ahead of Alex Albon, Guanyu Zhou.

Pierre Gasly brought his Alpha Tauri home fourteenth finishing three tenths ahead of Mick Schumacher. Daniel Ricciardo was sixteenth, ahead of Nicolas Latifi the final two finishers in the race.

Related

United States GP – Qualifying Result 2022

UNITED STATES GP – Carlos Sainz beats Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to pole

UNITED STATES GP – Charles Leclerc fastest by seven-tenths in second practice

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