In true Verstappen fashion, the Champ once again asserted his dominance on the track, reminding us all why he’s the one to beat. But besides the familiar sight of Verstappen at the front, we witnessed a rookie’s remarkable milestone as he earned his first-ever championship point. And not all drivers had reason to celebrate, with some enduring weekends they’d rather forget than remember.
Top of the class:
Max Verstappen – Qualifying: 6th (originally 1st) | Shootout: 1st | Sprint: 1st | Race: 1st
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Verstappen and Red Bull demonstrated this in Austin, turning setbacks into triumphs. Losing his pole position due to those pesky track limits on Friday must have miffed the Dutchman, especially when they conveniently changed the rules just after.
It was smooth sailing and the same old on Saturday, but when starting from sixth on Sunday, Verstappen faced an uphill battle. Especially with Red Bull’s decision to adjust the car’s setup for the bumpy terrain, sacrificing some of its usual pace. So the rocket was not quite rocketing in Texas and the Dutchman had to do it all on his own.
And as if that wasn’t enough drama, Verstappen had to deal with a brake issue mid-race, leading to some choice words over the radio. Looks like Verstappen and his race engineer GP are back to their bickering ways. It wasn’t the smoothest ride to victory, but it just goes to show why Verstappen and Red Bull are the ones to beat in F1 right now.
Logan Sargeant – Qualifying: 20th | Shootout: 20th | Sprint: 19th | Race: 10th (originally 12th)
Bagging his first points wasn’t exactly a textbook endeavour for Sargeant; they practically fell into his lap thanks to Leclerc and Hamilton’s disqualifications. But hey, a point is a point, right? And doing it on home turf only sweetens the deal. He was also having his strongest Sunday in F1 so the point comes as an extra bonus.
Despite finishing 6.2 seconds behind Albon on the road, Sargeant’s gap was reduced to just 1.2 seconds after a track limits penalty, which makes the result look even better on paper. This translated into a solid 9th and 10th place for the Williams squad, signalling their first double points finish in a race since Hungary 2021 (Discounting Belgium 2021, because that really didn’t count as a race).
Logan’s solitary point contribution also holds significance as the 999th point scored by an American driver in the World Championship, the first since Michael Andretti at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix for McLaren.
An honourable mention goes to Yuki Tsunoda for his stellar performance on Sunday, clinching an eighth-place finish. This, coupled with a final lap attempt for the fastest lap saw the Japanese driver bank five points. Which effectively doubled AlphaTauri’s 2023 tally in one swift move.
The struggle bus:
Charles Leclerc – Qualifying: 1st | Shootout: 2nd | Sprint: 3rd | Race: DSQ (originally 6th)
Taking the reins of the struggle bus this time is none other than Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver’s weekend took a nosedive from pole position to a lacklustre sixth place in the race, making it his tenth consecutive pole without a win – not exactly the kind of streak you’d want to brag about. But wait, it gets even worse… A disqualification from the race added a generous sprinkle of salt to the wound.
Before the disqualification, Ferrari’s strategic blunder with a one-stop strategy left Leclerc high and dry, unable to capitalize on his promising starting position. Cue the clown music, because it’s clear Ferrari’s strategists were sleeping on the job.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Leclerc’s disqualification for a rule violation with the plank at the base of his Ferrari put the final nail in the coffin. Despite a third-place finish in the Sprint race, Leclerc’s weekend was marred by disappointment. The Monegasque is lagging behind teammate Carlos Sainz by a whopping 20 points. It’s safe to say that it’s been a rough ride for the Ferrari driver, and the struggle bus just keeps on rolling.
Lewis Hamilton – Qualifying: 3rd | Shootout: 3rd | Sprint: 2nd | Race: DSQ (originally 2nd)
Lewis Hamilton found himself grappling with disappointment yet again at the United States Grand Prix. While the race marked his closest brush with victory this season, fate had other plans in store.
Mercedes’ decision to pursue an ambitious one-stop strategy backfired spectacularly, costing Hamilton any genuine shot at victory. It’s almost comical how both Mercedes and Ferrari seemed determined to cling to their flawed strategies.
Hamilton’s Mercedes failed an FIA inspection post-race, echoing Leclerc’s misfortune at Ferrari. With the podium snatched from his grasp, Hamilton’s aspirations for a sixth podium of the season were dashed.
While Hamilton can take solace in his second-place finish in the Sprint race and Mercedes’ promising development trajectory, his chances of securing second place in the drivers’ cchampionship are all but over after the crucial points loss.
The dishonourable mention goes to Daniel Ricciardo, or rather, to his rotten luck. It’s no secret that Danny Boy has a soft spot for Austin, and I was really rooting for him to shine, especially considering the rollercoaster of a year he’s had. From being without a seat to a brief stint at AlphaTauri before being sidelined due to injury, and now finally back behind the wheel.
Sadly, his return to his favourite track didn’t go as planned. Opting for a one-stop strategy proved to be his undoing, relegating him to a disappointing 15th-place finish. He held the fastest lap until the team called Tsunoda in for a last-ditch attempt on the final lap. So the Aussie lost that one too. Tough break.
All eyes now turn to the next stop on the F1 calendar: the Mexican Grand Prix on the 5th of November. Will hometown hero Checo Pérez rediscover his form on familiar turf and challenge his teammate Verstappen?
