Packed with tension, drama, and a resurgent Max Verstappen who refuses to let go of his championship dreams in 2025, Austin delivered another action-packed weekend of Formula 1 from the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). But before Sunday even began, the story of the weekend had already taken shape with McLaren, losing both cars in the sprint race after a double incident on Saturday, scoring no points. It comes just weeks after the team from Woking sealed the Constructors’ Championship in Singapore.
Starting on pole, by turn one, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen did what he does best: control the start, shut the door, and dictate the race. Behind him, Charles Leclerc pulled off one of the best starts of the season, capitalizing on soft tires to slot into second before losing ground to an increasingly confident Lando Norris. But one of the biggest moments of the race was Lando reclaiming second from Leclerc. The Monagasque still salvaged a podium by the time the chequered flag fell, finishing third. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, finished just off the podium in fourth.
Both Ferrari drivers were optimistic going into the race weekend. The other McLaren with Oscar Piastri was only able to manage fifth, Russel in sixth for Mercedes, Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull in seventh, Nico Hülkenberg in eighth for Sauber, Oliver Bearman in ninth for HAAS, and Alonso in his Aston Martin, taking the final point and wrapping up 10th. The only DNF was Carlos Sainz, who, until his contact with Kimi Antonelli, was having a great weekend.
The celebrity turnout over the weekend in Austin was as strong as ever and included the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Jay Leno, Joe Rogan, Adele and Brad Pitt. In other news, F1 also confirmed that the U.S. Grand Prix will stay at COTA through 2034. Miami also has an extension until 2041. Off-track, the weekend brought huge news for fans in the U.S., as Apple is taking over the broadcast rights next season, replacing ESPN, in 2026, a year where an American team is also set to join the F1 grid next season with Cadillac joining.
Verstappen’s fifth title isn’t guaranteed just yet, but it’s clear he’s on a mission with five more races to go, including one in Las Vegas (November 20-22), until the season finale in Abu Dhabi. But after his back-to-back wins in Austin, he’s now within striking distance of a fifth World Drivers’ Championship, cutting the deficit to the championship leader Oscar Piastri by 64 points from 104 points to just 40.
Image Source: @Formula1
