Verstappen and Norris are separated by 57 factors on the drivers’ championship desk after the race, with Leclerc third.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc clinched his third System One race of the season as he completed forward of teammate Carlos Sainz to win the USA Grand Prix, whereas title rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen had been locked in a controversial end.
Monaco native Leclerc helped Ferrari end the race one-two as Spaniard Sainz was positioned second, 8.562 seconds behind Leclerc’s profitable time of 1:35:09.639 in a memorable race on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
“It wasn’t a simple weekend however I had the arrogance within the race,” Leclerc mentioned afterwards.
“We nonetheless had the higher hand, we couldn’t have dreamed for higher.”
Leclerc had additionally received the Monaco Grand Prix and Italian Grand Prix this 12 months and sits third within the driver standings behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who tangled late within the race in a sequence that noticed Norris obtain a considerable penalty.
Norris caught Verstappen and handed him for third, however he left the monitor to take action. The following five-second penalty he obtained on the finish of the race pushed him behind Verstappen and again to fourth place.
“It’s not a simple choice, it might’ve come sooner,” Norris mentioned. “I attempted, he additionally went off the monitor. If he goes off the monitor he goes in too arduous and good points a bonus. However I don’t make the foundations.”
Ferrari ‘simply as aggressive’
Norris mentioned the race was a “momentum killer” for his title problem.
Requested by reporters how a lot of a ‘killer’ it was for the championship, Norris replied: “Fairly a bit. It’s a momentum killer.
“However we got here in right here with our thoughts open, not anticipating to dominate or simply win or something. The truth that Ferrari was so fast as we speak confirmed they’re simply as aggressive,” he added.
“Even when I got here round flip one in first, I might by no means have completed first or second and I solely might have completed third. However the one man I have to beat is Max and that’s the man I didn’t beat as we speak.
“It was a non-successful weekend, all in all. However we gave it shot. I attempted. It wasn’t ok and now we have work to do and I’ve work to do myself.”
McLaren proceed to guide Purple Bull within the constructors’ standings by 40 factors, however Ferrari are looming into rivalry.
Norris wanted to beat Verstappen by greater than eight factors a race weekend on common to have an actual likelihood of turning into champion and the duty has solely turn into tougher with 5 rounds remaining.
Verstappen – the three-time reigning F1 champion from the Netherlands – stays atop the motive force standings, 57 factors away from the UK’s Norris, however his Grand Prix title drought has prolonged to 9 straight races. Verstappen received seven of 10 to start out the season.
British F1 icon Lewis Hamilton spun out round Flip 19 and was the one driver to not full the race.
DRIVER STANDINGS (after 19/24 rounds)
Verstappen’s lead will increase to 57 factors #F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/wVXySFRkrX
— System 1 (@F1) October 20, 2024
