Formula 1: Charles Leclerc dominates United States Grand Prix ahead of Carlos Sainz

It was all Ferrari in the United States Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc took the lead on lap 1 and was never passed on track as he beat his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz to the checkered flag. Behind them, the biggest drama of the race came in the waning laps as Lando Norris tried to chase down Max Verstappen for third.

Norris eventually got past Verstappen with less than five laps to go, but he went off track to do so. The incident was noted by the stewards and Norris was penalized five seconds on the final lap for going off the track and gaining an advantage.

That penalty dropped him back to fourth behind Verstappen in the official running order. By finishing ahead of Norris, Verstappen’s points lead now sits at 57 points over the McLaren driver with five Grand Prix weekends to go in the 2024 season.

It was not the race Norris was expecting after starting on pole. But he failed to cover off Verstappen well enough entering Turn 1 on the opening lap, and Leclerc got past them both for first as Norris fell all the way to fourth. Sainz followed Verstappen in third, before he pitted four laps ahead of Verstappen and used the undercut to pass Verstappen for second.

George Russell drove all the way to sixth in his Mercedes after he crashed out in the final round of qualifying. His crash gave Norris the pole as Verstappen was likely to snag the top spot if it wasn’t for Russell’s crash. Russell started the race in the pit lane because of all the fixes his team had to make to the car.

Russell’s teammate Lewis Hamilton spun out on the second lap of the race. Hamilton was eliminated in the first round of qualifying and started the race in 17th. He gained five spots on the first lap, but his car snapped loose in Turn 19 on the second lap and got stuck in the gravel. The safety car that was deployed for Hamilton’s stuck car was the only one of the race and the first safety car deployment in an F1 race since the Canadian Grand Prix in June.

United States Grand Prix results

1. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull

4. Lando Norris, McLaren

5. Oscar Piastri, McLaren

6. George Russell, Mercedes

7. Sergio Perez, Red Bull

8. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas

9. Liam Lawson, RB

10. Franco Colapinto, Williams

11. Kevin Magnussen, Haas

12. Pierre Gasly, Alpine

13. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin

14. Yuki Tsunoda, RB

15. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin

16. Alex Albon, Williams

17. Valtteri Bottas, Sauber

18. Esteban Ocon, Alpine

19. Zhou Guanyu, Sauber

Not classified: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes