United States GP: Charles Leclerc leads dominant Ferrari 1-2 in Austin as Lando Norris penalty palms Max Verstappen third | F1 Information

Charles Leclerc impressively received the USA Grand Prix in a surprisingly-dominant one-two for Ferrari as Lando Norris misplaced a vital third place to title rival Max Verstappen after being penalised for a late overtake on his F1 title rival.

Whereas Ferrari overcame the championship’s prime two and front-row starters in a supreme present of velocity as Leclerc led residence team-mate Carlos Sainz, all eyes nonetheless ended up being on the title protagonists as they duelled over the ultimate podium berth in a gripping, tense and finally controversial conclusion to the race on the Circuit of the Americas.

Having dropped from pole place to fourth, behind Verstappen, in a dismal begin to the race, Norris relentlessly got here again at his title rival into the closing levels after McLaren delayed the Briton’s sole pit cease to make sure he had more energizing tyres than his Crimson Bull rival for the tip of the race.

Norris duly made that tyre benefit depend as he shortly caught again up with Dutchman and, having been stored at bay for 10 laps, the McLaren got here out of Flip 12 forward after the pair went wheel-to-wheel into the nook on lap 52 in an incident which noticed each automobiles run vast.

However stewards finally dominated that Norris had gained the place unfairly by operating vast and coming again on the observe in entrance to finish the transfer, handing him a five-second penalty.

Having stored third to the chequered flag and completed solely 4.1s forward of Verstappen, Norris was relegated again to fourth behind his rival within the remaining classification.

The late swap round means Verstappen, who received Saturday’s Dash with Norris third, will increase his title lead over the McLaren driver to 57 factors with solely 5 race weekends left in 2024.

Norris’ sanction virtually dropped him behind McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri too, the Australian having additionally run an extended first stint and ending up simply 1.5s behind the lead automotive in fifth as soon as the time penalty was utilized.

Sixth went to Mercedes’ George Russell, who impressively fought again from a pit-lane begin to his unique grid place in his repaired automotive which had sustained intensive injury in his end-of-qualifying crash on Saturday.

Russell additionally needed to cope with a five-second time penalty served at his sole pit cease following an incident with Valtteri Bottas, which Mercedes boss Toto Wolff branded a “total joke”.

In a late overtake that’s unlikely to do Sergio Perez’s long-term Crimson Bull prospects any additional favours, Russell handed the Mexican late on too to cap a high quality restoration drive.

But it surely proved a completely depressing Sunday for Russell’s Mercedes team-mate and Austin’s most profitable driver, Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time champion’s race ended inside the primary three laps as he spun out and beached his Mercedes at Flip 19, the place Russell crashed in qualifying.

After a storming begin noticed him achieve 5 locations from his Seventeenth-place grid spot, Hamilton changed into the left-hander as regular however the rear of his automotive didn’t go along with him and he slithered off the observe and into the gravel, the place his rear wheels acquired caught.

Verstappen vs Norris: Controversies to start out and end

Verstappen and Norris had been concerned in two disputed wheel-to-wheel moments through the course of the 56 laps – and twice the Briton and his McLaren crew thought they’d been on the receiving finish of the fallacious choices.

The primary got here on the very begin when Verstappen went down the within of the pole-sitting Norris on the uphill run to Flip One, with the McLaren operating vast and each automobiles dropping behind the fast-starting Leclerc whereas Sainz moved forward of the Briton too.

Regardless of arguing over crew radio that he had been illegally compelled off the observe, stewards dominated no investigation was required.

Fifty-one laps later and McLaren felt aggrieved once more when Norris, this time the one trying the overtake, lastly thought he had acquired forward of Verstappen after a 10-lap pursuit solely to be positioned beneath investigation.

Each automobiles ran off the observe this time, with Norris wider over the run-off apron earlier than getting again on observe first to achieve the subsequent nook forward.

Verstappen instantly argued on crew radio “He overtook me outside of the track”, a verdict that the stewards finally agreed with too after they investigated the choice and dominated that Norris was “not level with [Verstappen] at the apex” and had due to this fact “lost the right” to the nook”.

In championship turns, the choice resulted in an efficient six-point swing within the championship.

As an alternative of closing down Verstappen’s result in 51 factors, one level fewer than it stood in the beginning of the weekend, Norris heads to Mexico Metropolis subsequent week 57 factors adrift with time quick operating out for him to stage a miraculous comeback.

Formulation 1’s Americas triple header continues subsequent weekend with the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, with each session reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime