Starting grid

Lando Norris started the United States Grand Prix from pole position, with his F1 title contender Max Verstappen lining up beside him on the front row.

The second row is all Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz in third and Charles Leclerc in fourth, while Oscar Piastri rounds out the top five.

Pierre Gasly started from amazing sixth place for Alpine with both Haas cars right behind him.

Sergio Perez lined up in 10th, after not being able to match Verstappen’s great performance once again.

Lewis Hamilton started near the rear after being surprisingly knocked out in Q1.

Both Zhou Guanyu and Liam Lawson received grid penalties for engine changes.

George Russell, following his Q3 crash, began the race from the pit lane after reverting to older-spec parts.

Race

The race started off strong with a battle between pole-sitter Lando Norris and second Max Verstappen into Turn 1, with a better outcome for the Dutchman.

However, that didn’t last even a few seconds as they both went wide, making enough room for Charles Leclerc, who started fourth, to squeeze by. Norris even fell down to fourth place, with Carlos Sainz getting past the Briton as well.

There was also a contact between Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon right after the start, with the Frenchman dropping all the way to the back of the field.

The order at the top after lap one was Leclerc in the lead, Verstappen just behind, followed by Sainz and then definitely unhappy Norris.

Another drama didn't take long to unfold as Lewis Hamilton, after making up 5 places after the start, spun in Turn 19 and ended up stuck in the gravel only on the third lap of the race, calling the first safety car since the Canadian Grand Prix.

After the restart on lap 6, Sainz reported smelling something 'like fuel’ and struggling for power but still managed to keep his position.

Zhou has gone for a spin into the first corner after losing grip on lap 10, falling to the back of the field.

The weekend drama between Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso continued on lap 11, with the New Zealander leaving the veteran in the dust, moving up to eleventh place.

While Leclerc was extending his lead to Verstappen at the front, the first driver to head to the pits was Zhou on lap 14, followed by his teammate Valtteri Bottas.

On the same lap, George Russell received bad news over the radio as he has been handled a 5-second time penalty for forcing Bottas off the track.

The first stop from the drivers at the top came on lap 22, with Sainz switching mediums for hards. Verstappen stopped on lap 26, followed by Leclerc the lap after. Norris pitted a bit later on lap 32, which put Leclerc back in the lead.

Former teammates Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda then both received a 5-second time penalty. The Frenchman for leaving the track and gaining an advantage and the Japanese for forcing another driver off the track.

McLaren’s decision to pit later was aimed at providing a tyre advantage in the closing stages, and this became clear as Norris quickly reduced his deficit to Verstappen, who complained about his grip.

The battle between Norris and Verstappen really kicked off on lap 47, when the McLaren driver made his first attempt to overtake the championship leader, but it was unsuccessful.

He eventually got ahead on lap 52 but with an overtake off-track, resulting in a penalty for Norris. That calmed Verstappen down despite being behind the McLaren driver.

At the front, there was no doubt about Leclerc's and Ferrari's dominance, with Sainz in second, heading for a triumphant one-two finish.

Charles Leclerc dominated the US Grand Prix after a brilliant start. With Carlos Sainz, finishing behind him in second, they secured the second 1-2 finish of the season for Ferrari.

Max Verstappen finished third, followed by his championship contender Lando Norris in fourth place with a disappointing penalty.

Oscar Piastri completed the race in fifth place ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. 

George Russell secured an amazing seventh place for Mercedes after starting from the pit lane, followed by another great result from Nico Hulkenberg.

Liam Lawson secured two points for finishing ninth on his comeback weekend for RB with Franco Colapinto completing the top 10 and once again proving his worth of an F1 seat next year.

2024 United States Grand Prix results: