Charles Leclerc triumphs in Ferrari’s thrilling display of power in Texas

From Friday’s US GP free practice and especially from yesterday’s Sprint, it was clear that the Ferrari SF-24 handled its tires superbly in Texas, but probably not even the most dreamy fan could have dreamed of the display of power. with which Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz made it 1-2 in Austin, Texas, in the 19th race of this year’s Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc took the lead into the first corner after the start when Lando Norris and Max Verstappen straddled the exit, and from then on he opened up a gap from Max Verstappen with characteristic ease, coasting away and never worried until the checkered flag – where he finished nearly 20 seconds ahead of third-placed Verstappen.

As Norris dropped to 4th at the first corner, in the one and only pit stop that all the frontrunners (unexpectedly) made, Sainz undercut Verstappen to take 2nd from the Dutchman, while the McLaren drivers were delayed very their own strategy.

This gave Norris the freedom to chase and catch Verstappen at the end. The two title contenders had a thrilling all-time battle, which Norris won – but before the checkered flag fell, the stewards ruled that the Englishman had passed the Dutchman through his own fault on the way off the track, and handed him a 5′ time penalty. which dropped him to 4th place in the final standings.

Oscar Piastri and George Russell completed the top six, as the Englishman from Mercedes made an impressive counterattack having started the race from the pits, due to yesterday’s accident. Lewis Hamilton retired after an early exit at the point where Russell had his crash in qualifying.

The US GP at a glance

• All the frontrunners started on the medium tyre, with the exception of Russell (from the pits) who had the hard, along with 17th placed Hamilton.
• At the start Leclerc went from 4th to 1st at the first corner, taking advantage of the Norris-Verstappen battle where both opened up off the line and closed in on Saint as well.
• Leclerc disappeared into the horizon and within a few laps he was out of the threat of Verstappen’s undercut.
• In the one and only pit stop made by all the drivers, Saint undercut Verstappen to move into 2nd place, which he has not been threatened since.
• Norris, Piastri came in for a tire change 6 and 7 laps later than Verstappen. With the difference in grip Norris caught the Dutchman with 15 laps to go.
• The Norris-Verstappen battle lasted until the checkered flag. Three laps before the end the Englishman passed Max and finished 3rd..
• The marshals soon dropped Norris to 4th place with a 5′ penalty for passing Verstappen coming off the track. McLaren claims the Dutchman pushed him off the track, so the matter will continue.
• Hamilton retired early after an exit that left Mercedes stuck in the sand trap.
• Russell started from the pits due to the repair his W15 needed after his accident in yesterday’s qualifying tests. But starting on the hard tyre, he pitted with 15 laps to go and moved into the top six.
• In the drivers’ championship, Verstappen thus increased his lead over Norris to 57 points.
• In the heats, McLaren saw their gap to RBR increase to 40 points, but with a 1-2 Ferrari closed to 8 points on Red Bull.

The progress of the match

At the start, where all – apart from Hamilton, Russell – the front-runners lined up on the medium tyre, everyone – including Pirelli – expected this to be a two-pit stop race. This was disproved as everyone only did one tire change.

Leclerc followed a very smart tactic in the first corner, taking the inside. He took advantage of the fact that Norris and Verstappen in their battle opened up on the outside, and took the lead which he had no trouble holding on to in the series of fast corners that followed.

Immediately the Monegasque came out of the DRS zone of the 2nd Verstappen, with a lead of 1.6” after the first lap, and now everything showed that moving in the fresh air of the vanguard he was now the favorite for the victory.

Norris’ conservative tactics at the first corner allowed Sainz to pass him as well, to move up to 3rd, and soon the Spaniard was stuck in Verstappen’s Red Bull box. But he couldn’t get past him.

This was followed by Hamilton’s exit at Turn 18, which left the Englishman stuck in the sand trap and brought out the safety car and narrowed the gap again. But on the restart, after 3 laps, Leclerc defended well against Max and held the lead.

What he failed to do on the track Saind did in the pits, through the undercut, to pass Verstappen for 2nd place (entering for a tire change 4 laps before the Dutchman). On lap 26 it was Leclerc’s turn for his own pit stop, and despite coming back behind the two McLarens he soon caught up and passed Piastri.

Norris and Piastri were 6-11 laps behind the two leaders in making their pit stops, so when they put on the fresh hard rubber they too were able to launch their attack.

Norris took advantage of the extra grip on his tires (combined with the fact that Verstappen was struggling on the hard rubber) to overtake the Dutchman with 11 laps to go. A furious battle ensued between the two for the third step of the podium, in which Norris launched a series of overtaking attempts.

The champion defended artfully, but on lap 52 Norris attempted to pass the Red Bull on the outside of Turn 12. He succeeded, but having gone over the track to do so.

Fearing a 5″ penalty for this move, the Englishman tried to build a lead of more than 5″ over the Dutchman in the closing laps, but by just 0.9″ at the finish he was unable to do so. And then came the stewards’ penalty which dropped him to 4th place.

Piastri was off the pace all race going into this battle and was left in a somewhat lonely 5th place, 34 seconds ahead of George Russell. The Englishman kept the hard rubber he started with for 41 laps, and then with his fresh soft was able to pass even Sergio Perez, for 6th place.

Nico Hulkenberg gave Haas F1 four valuable points, while Liam Lawson on his RB return got into the points, while the impressive Franco Colapinto – also starting on the hard tire – continued his seeming foray into F1 with another point , of the 10th position.

The next Formula 1 GP, the 20th of 24 this season, will be held in the next three days, on October 25-27, in Mexico City and at the Hermanos Rodriguez Autodromo.