Max Verstappen defied Lewis Hamilton to win a cat-and-mouse United States Grand Prix at a sizzling Circuit of the Americas in Austin.
Verstappen has been on easy street this season, but the triple world champion was made to fight for the 50th win of his career – becoming only the fifth driver to reach a half-century.
Indeed, at one stage, Hamilton dared to dream of ending a losing streak which stands at 686 days and counting.
Yet, as so often been the case this year, Verstappen’s speed in his all-conquering Red Bull machine came to the fore.
More to follow…
09:58 PM BST
Hamilton reacts
First of all, we have to congratulate these guys (Red Bull). The team has done an incredible job all year long, just dominated and Max has been flawless. We were catching towards the end and I was hopeful we needed some more laps.
The team did an amazing job this weekend, so much work to bring this upgrade here. Honestly it was really difficult after the last race, firstly with everything that is going on in the world and the big mistake I made. I really felt like I let the team down so much.
I had to go through a real deep process of getting back here. It’s one of those experiences of not how you fall but how you get up.
09:57 PM BST
Verstappen booed
Boos for the world champ as he comes out onto the podium. Lots of ‘Checo’ chants for Perez.
Interesting…
09:52 PM BST
Verstappen reacts
The whole race, I was struggling a lot with the brakes. Around here there are quite a few braking points. I couldn’t really have the same feeling as yesterday so that definitely made my race a bit tougher out here today.
It was very close at the end and also with the backmarkers, the tyres are already going so it makes it more difficult. It’s incredible to win my 50th Grand Prix here. Very proud of course and we will keep on trying to push for more.
09:49 PM BST
Big opportunity missed by Mercedes I think
I do wonder what would have happened if Merc didn’t spend some laps thinking about the 1 stop around the first pitstop….
Lost 7 seconds to Max around that first stop – had the tyre offset at the end but I’d be interested to know if Lewis could have won today
— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) October 22, 2023
09:45 PM BST
Norris takes 3rd in 100th race start
Norris to McLaren:
Aye, aye. That was a tough one, but another podium.
09:43 PM BST
Hamilton delight at podium
Hamilton to Mercedes:
Fantastic weekend. Really well done. We’ve got work to do in many areas, but we’re getting closer. We’ll get there. Thank you to everyone back at the factory for the upgrade. I really appreciate you not giving up on us.
09:42 PM BST
Final result in Austin
09:40 PM BST
WATCH: Angry Max
09:39 PM BST
Final lap
Into the final lap, Hamilton is 2s behind Verstappen. Looks like he is going to run out of laps. Norris looks solid for third despite the best efforts of Sainz in 4th.
The gap by the long straight is 1.5s and Verstappen has DRS due to a backmarker.
Hamilton has given this a good go but it is not enough as Verstappen claims his 50th race victory.
09:36 PM BST
Lap 55
Verstappen explodes at his team on the team radio over talking to him under braking.
The gap is now 2.3s between him and Hamilton.
09:36 PM BST
Lap 54
Top 10 after 54/56 laps
1. Verstappen 2. Hamilton 3. Norris 4. Sainz 5. Perez 6. Leclerc 7. Russell 8. Gasly 9. Stroll 10. Tsunoda
09:33 PM BST
Lap 52
Perez passes Leclerc at Turn 1 and moves into fifth.
Hamilton to Mercedes:
God damn he’s [Verstappen] good on that hard tyre. The car’s too quick.
09:32 PM BST
Lap 52
Sainz is being told to push and get after Norris in third. Verstappen holds a 4.7s lead over Hamilton. I can’t see Mercedes catching the Red Bull unless the brake issue becomes a real problem.
Albon is handed a penalty for track limits.
09:30 PM BST
Lap 51
Alonso retires from the race with a rear suspension failure. Verstappen is managing the lead from Hamilton.
Ferrari to Leclerc:
Let Sainz by. Do not lose time.
09:28 PM BST
WATCH: Hamilton passes Norris for 2nd
09:28 PM BST
Lap 49
Hamilton closes the gap on Norris down the home straight with DRS. And he gets the move done into the first corner despite Norris’ best efforts.
5s between Verstappen and Hamilton…
09:26 PM BST
Lap 48
Verstappen is pulling away from Norris. The gap is now 4.7s.
But Hamilton is closing the gap on Norris, it’s now 1s.
09:22 PM BST
Lap 47
Top 10 after 47/56 laps
1. Verstappen 2. Norris 3. Hamilton 4. Leclerc 5. Sainz 6. Perez 7. Russell 8. Gasly 9. Alonso 10. Tsunoda
Verstappen to Red Bull:
Please, no talking under braking.
09:21 PM BST
Lap 46
Hamilton to Mercedes:
Still a big gap out there.
09:19 PM BST
Lap 45
The story of the closing laps is how far can Hamilton get. He will be in striking distance of Norris in four laps. Then can he get after Verstappen? We shall see…
09:17 PM BST
Lap 43
Hamilton into DRS range on Leclerc, who is struggling and should be pitting soon.
Hamilton eventually gets the overtake done into Turn 12. He is 6s behind race leader Verstappen and 3s behind Norris.
09:15 PM BST
Lap 41
Verstappen continues to complain about his brakes but doesn’t appear to be affecting his speed as he grows a gap between him and Norris.
09:13 PM BST
Lap 40
Hamilton in fourth and chasing down Leclerc, who still needs to pit for the second time. Russell pits and comes out in ninth.
Verstappen and Norris are on hard tyres, Hamilton is on mediums. He should be quick by the end of the race…
09:10 PM BST
Lap 39
Verstappen overtakes Leclerc into the first corner. Norris then gets the Ferrari into Turn 12. 1.2s between Verstappen and Norris. The McLaren is coming alive.
09:09 PM BST
Lap 38
Verstappen is closing the gap on Leclerc. Sainz passes Russell. Hamilton into the pits. He pits onto the mediums.
09:07 PM BST
Lap 37
Hamilton is the new race leader ahead of Perez, Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris and Russell.
15s separate Hamilton and Verstappen. How far can Hamilton go on his tyres? He’s been told to safe fuel.
09:05 PM BST
Lap 36
Verstappen pits at the end of lap 35. Slow stop by Red Bull but Verstappen comes out ahead of Norris, who is now 1.7s behind him.
09:03 PM BST
Lap 35
Norris is first of the front runners to go for a two-stop. Another set of hard tyres have been fitted on the McLaren.
Verstappen to Red Bull:
Ah mate, these brakes are so s— compared to yesterday.
09:02 PM BST
Lap 34
Verstappen has extended the gap to 3s over Norris but complains on team radio bitterly about his brakes.
Norris into the pits at the end of lap 34. He comes out in sixth. How do Red Bull respond?
09:00 PM BST
Lap 33
Top 10 after 33/56 laps
1. Verstappen 2. Norris 3. Hamilton 4. Sainz 5. Perez 6. Leclerc 7. Russell 8. Gasly 9. Tsunoda 10. Alonso
08:59 PM BST
Lap 32
Verstappen responds to Norris and gets out of DRS range. The gap now 1.8s. Hamilton is now 3.8 behind Norris.
08:57 PM BST
Lap 31
Norris is back in DRS range of Verstappen and is now complaining about the champ exceeding track limits.
Fair play to the McLaren for sticking with the Red Bull. Can he make an overtake?
08:54 PM BST
WATCH: Verstappen passes Norris for the lead
08:54 PM BST
Lap 29
Who had lap 28 for Verstappen taking the lead? I think it’s now a race for second between Norris and Hamilton, who is 4.5s behind.
Hamilton to Mercedes:
You’ve given me a hell of a gap to close.
08:53 PM BST
Lap 28
DRS again for Verstappen down the straight. Norris goes wide. Verstappen goes for the move and makes it stick. The McLaren tries to stay with the Red Bull but the champ gets his car in front and drives away.
This looks like a Lando vs Lewis battle for second….
The 3 lap offset strategy for Lewis has cost him I think. Let’s see if it closes up later but gone from 2 seconds to 8 behind Lando.
— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) October 22, 2023
08:50 PM BST
Lap 27
DRS for Verstappen down the straight but Norris hangs on. Norris has a lap deleted for track limits. They are 7s ahead of Hamilton.
08:48 PM BST
Lap 26
Verstappen is on a two-stop on mediums, Norris and Hamilton could go to the end on the hard tyre.
Seems like a matter of time before Verstappen gets Norris. He’s got DRS and closes the gap even more.
08:47 PM BST
Lap 25
Norris locks up and that allows Verstappen to close the gap significantly. He’s very close to being within DRS range.
08:45 PM BST
Lap 24
In a team radio conversation with McLaren, Norris agrees to switch to Plan B – which is likely to be a one-stopper – as they target fighting Verstappen for the win.
Hamilton on team radio:
We came out so far behind
08:44 PM BST
Lap 23
Leclerc pits at the end of lap 23 to release Norris. Verstappen is 2nd, Hamilton in 3rd, Sainz in 4th.
08:42 PM BST
Lap 22
Norris now holds the net race lead with Verstappen 2.7s behind and closing.
The actual race leader is Leclerc, who is yet to pit. Albon has had two track limit warnings in a row. Could see some penalties later in the race.
08:39 PM BST
Lap 21
Hamilton pits, 3.6s stop. When he comes back out on track Hamilton is now behind Verstappen by 6s.
Big error by Mercedes there.
08:38 PM BST
Lap 20
Hamilton locks up and loses a lot of time. Surely he has to pit soon. Hamilton tells his team he is struggling.
Verstappen is 3s behind Norris. The gap was 7s before the pit stops.
08:36 PM BST
Lap 19
Red Bull believe Hamilton could be on a one-stop strategy. Fastest lap from Verstappen.
Hamilton tells his team that he doesn’t think he can go for another five laps on his current set of tyres.
Pit stops take 20s. Hamilton’s lead over sixth placed Verstappen is 20.6s.
08:33 PM BST
Lap 18
Norris comes in for a 2.8s stop. Sainz is told to stop by Ferrari. Hamilton stays out.
Personal best sectors from Verstappen…
08:32 PM BST
Lap 17
Verstappen into the pits. 2.5s stop, he puts on the mediums. He is committing to a two-stop race. The Red Bulls are looking for an undercut here.
How will Norris and Hamilton respond?
08:31 PM BST
Lap 16
Norris is on team radio saying he is struggling with the balance of his car. He’s told to avoid the kerbs.
08:29 PM BST
Lap 15
Verstappen’s reporting “zero grip” and is not happy with how his tyres are faring right now. But he is bit by bit closing in on the front two.
I think he is exactly where he wants to be at this stage of the race.
08:28 PM BST
Lap 14
Alonso, who started in the pit lane and is already up to 11th with team-mate Stroll behind him.
1.8s separates Hamilton and Norris. The Merc is closing the gap with every lap.
08:26 PM BST
WATCH: Verstappen moves into 3rd
08:25 PM BST
Lap 13
A number of drivers are exceeding track limits. Perez is on team radio complaining about Russell in front of him and calling for a five-second penalty.
Hamilton is the fastest man on the track. Hammer-time?
08:23 PM BST
Lap 12
Wheel to wheel racing between Verstappen and Leclerc down into Turn 12. The Ferrari tries to hang on but can’t as the Red Bull has greater traction.
08:21 PM BST
Lap 11
Piastri is slowing down and being told to retire his McLaren. Must be a consequence of his incident with Ocon.
08:21 PM BST
Lap 10
First car into the pits is Zhou, who stops from 11th and drops to the back of the grid after a slow stop.
08:19 PM BST
Lap 9
The top 10 after nine laps
1. Norris 2. Hamilton 3. Leclerc 4. Verstappen 5. Sainz 6. Piastri 7. Russell 8. Perez 9. Gasly 10. Tsunoda
08:17 PM BST
Lap 8
Verstappen is ominously pacing himself in fourth and moves to within DRS range of Leclerc. I wonder at what point will he eventually take the lead?!
1.9s gap between Norris and Hamilton at the front.
08:15 PM BST
Lap 7
Ocon retires from the race after a big hit with Piastri on the opening lap leaves a hole in his sidepod.
08:14 PM BST
Lap 6
No further investigation for Russell.
Hamilton closes up to Leclerc and overtakes him down the straight. The Ferrari’s haven’t got much speed at this stage of the race.
A British one-two with Norris leading and Hamilton chasing him down.
08:12 PM BST
Lap 5
Verstappen’s turn to get past Sainz down the long straight and he’s up to fourth.
Hamilton is within DRS range of Leclerc now.
08:11 PM BST
Norris takes the lead
08:10 PM BST
Lap 4
DRS for Hamilton and he moves into the top three as he speeds past Sainz.
08:09 PM BST
Lap 3
Norris is streaking clear at the front. He leads by 2.4s. DRS is now available for the drivers.
And Russell uses it to get past Ocon and Perez follows him too.
Hamilton is all over the gearbox for Sainz.
08:08 PM BST
Lap 2
Remember this is Norris’ 100th race. Would be a great time to win his first race.
Russell has been noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
08:05 PM BST
Lap 1
It’s lights out and away we go!
Good start by Norris as he gets to the first corner ahead of Leclerc. Hamilton drops to 4th and has Verstappen behind him.
Sainz is up to third and challenging his team-mate for second. Russell and Perez are 8th and 9th respectively.
There’s action everywhere.
08:00 PM BST
Formation lap
The grid clears leaving just the cars. The lights go green and drivers get going for the start of the formation lap with Leclerc leading them away.
07:58 PM BST
Watch out for the McLaren’s…
07:55 PM BST
Weather report
It is bright and sunny in Austin. The temperature is 29.2C with the track at a fraction below 40C.
No sign of rain on the radar!
07:53 PM BST
The A-listers arrive
07:47 PM BST
Martin’s Grid Walk
The great Martin Brundle has had some chaotic grid walks in the US in the past. He makes a nice start with Mark Webber and Damon Hill.
Then talks to two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who has bought a stake in Alpine F1. He teases a double bill of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk and Joshua vs Deontay Wilder. Next up is Rory McIlroy, who is still revelling in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory.
Patrick Dempsey stops for a chat about Michael Mann’s Ferrari movie which he stars in.
Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri stop for a talk as they make their way to the front of the grid for the national anthem and it concludes with Fernando Alonso whizzing by and saying he has a lot of work to do today as he starts from the pit lane.
07:35 PM BST
Leclerc will start from pole position for the 21st time
It’s going to be tight with Lando because first place doesn’t have a great amount of grip. At the same time we have always been quite strong with starts, so I’m crossing my fingers that it’s the same today and we can keep our first place after Turn 1.
We had great place all weekend but. Having said that, yesterday we struggled a bit more on degradation.
We think we can do some things to optimise it. It won’t be a miracle but it should go in the right direction. These small details can make a difference. So I really hope today we can see a better degradation.
Also the strategy will have a big influence on today’s result. It’s quite clear what we have to do, so I’m hoping for a great result today.
07:24 PM BST
A century up for Norris and Russell
By Tom Cary
Official Formula 1 social media videos are not always the most entertaining. Rarely venturing into awkward territory, they present a sanitised vision of the paddock, with the drivers always on message and on best behaviour. Every so often, though, they throw up a little gem.
So it was in Barcelona earlier this year when, ahead of the release of EA Sports’ F1 23, they got various drivers to guess their own and each other’s driver card ratings. Whoever had the idea to pair Lando Norris with George Russell knew exactly what he or she was doing.
The two young Brits get on well, having raced each other in karting and junior categories since their early days (Russell is 25 to Norris’ 23 so they weren’t direct contemporaries but they overlapped enough to form a good relationship). But there is always a little edge between them, given they are both out to inherit Lewis Hamilton’s mantle as top Brit.
So when the final scores for F1 23 were revealed, with Norris awarded an overall rating of 89 compared to Russell’s 88 (down two from last year), the Mercedes man was less than impressed. “Hang on, what?” Russell demanded before tipping the card onto the floor in mock anger. “You’ve ruined my mood going into the weekend!” Norris, loving it, piped up: “Don’t be a sore loser, George.”
It was something and nothing. As both Brits hit the 100-race milestone in Austin this weekend, though, it seems a pertinent moment to ask: which of them is better placed to inherit Hamilton’s crown? After five seasons and 99 races in Formula One, can we say definitively that Russell or Norris is the quicker driver? That one is the more likely world champion?
Read more here.
07:11 PM BST
New member of the Alpine pit crew
07:02 PM BST
One hour to go!
06:50 PM BST
The starting grid
06:39 PM BST
The Duke of Sussex is in town
06:32 PM BST
United States Grand Prix
Hello and welcome to coverage of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
The drivers and constructors championships may have been wrapped up by Max Verstappen and Red Bull but for the rest of the grid there is still plenty to play for in the final five races.
And tonight presents an opportunity for the likes of Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, who occupy the top three positions on the starting grid. Verstappen begins the race from sixth after his lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits.
“It wasn’t easy for everybody so I am really happy to start on pole for Sunday,” said Leclerc. “It is a surprise for us because we didn’t expect to be fighting for pole.
“Going into Turn 1 it is tricky here, but it is always better to start at the front than the back.”
Hamilton, who has only finished off the podium once in Austin, said: “I love being in the States. The circuit is incredible and is one of my favourites, right up there with Silverstone. it is a legendary layout and incredibly challenging.
“We have taken a step closer to the front which I know everyone is working so hard for. They are still a little bit ahead but we will give it another shot tomorrow. With this crowd, anything is possible.”
Verstappen, who wrapped up his third world title in Qatar a fortnight ago, is bidding to join Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel by reaching 50 victories.
Sergio Perez, second in the championship but only 30 points clear of Hamilton and five rounds remaining, will be feeling the pressure with Red Bull determined to end the year one-two in the standings.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo started his comeback from injury with 15th place on the grid for AlphaTauri, with team mate Yuki Tsunoda 11th.
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