United States Grand Prix: Leclerc from Sainz, Verstappen beats Norris
F1 NewsSunday, 20 October 2024 at 22:44
Ferrari painted Circuit of the Americas bright red today with a fine one-two finish, Charles Leclerc leading home Carlos Sainz for victory in the United States Grand Prix, Round 19 of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship.
Starting from the second row, Leclerc made a mighty start, cutting past pole-starting Lando Norris and Max Verstappen exiting Turn 2, the 2024 F1 title contenders going wide as the Ferrari nipped into the lead, where it stayed until the end of the race.
Behind him, teammate Sainz has been feisty all weekend. Ditto on Sunday, too, benefiting from Norris forced wide by Verstappen. But the Spaniard had to tuck behind the Red Bull, where he stayed until he called for the undercut.
Pitting before the Red Bull and putting the hammer down when it mattered meant P2 for Sainz. Verstappen pitted later, emerging behind the Ferrari.
While their drivers are unlikely to win the title this year, this one-two means Ferrari is very much in it for the F1 constructors' title, well within striking distance (48 points) of leaders McLaren and only eight down on Red Bull with five rounds (two of them including Sprint Races) to go.
Leclerc: We couldn't have dreamt for better
Ahead of celebrating his eighth Grand Prix victory on the COTA podium on Sunday, after his third win this season, Leclerc said: "It hasn't been an easy weekend until now. I have been struggling with the feeling with the car, but I had confidence that the race the feeling would be better, and that was the case.
"We saw it in the sprint and were not scared, but thought the others would improve, but we still had the upper hand." Really happy with today. One-two for the team. We couldn't have dreamt for better," declared Leclerc.
Sainz, in his final season with the Scuderia, said: "Congratulations to the whole team, to Charles, for an amazing result that puts us exactly where we want to be in the fight for the Constructors’ Championship.
Sainz: I knew a lot of the race was going to be decided at the start.
Sainz added: "I knew Lando and Max were going to go hard into Turn 1, but unfortunately, I got the worst of it, and I couldn’t get that lead. Even though the pace from the on was really good and I was really fast, track position is really key, and I had to settle for P2, which anyway was a good race.
"It’s definitely the strength of the car this year—how long we can go on stints and how little degradation we have. It’s something that I really enjoy and something that has made me enjoy racing this year a lot more than last year," beamed Sainz.
Behind the Reds, it was an all-out war between Verstappen and Norris in the final dozen fast and frantic dozen laps, as they slugged it out for the final podium spot. Typically the World Champion did not give an inch, while Norris lacked the killer instinct to bury him when he took his chances.
Verstappen: I have my opinion, but I don't need to say it here.
When he did get by, Norris had to go wide after being hung out to dry yet again by Verstappen. But it was well over the track limits, and surprise, McLaren did not tell their driver to give the place back. It cost them, Norris in particular.
Verstappen was unrepentant after making it clear over the radio that Norris had transgressed. He said afterwards in Parc Ferme: "It was quite a difficult race. I never really had the pace to attack." I just understeered a lot, struggling under braking, so that made defending quite difficult.
"Every time someone went for a move, I couldn't brake that late. It was a tough battle. I tried everything I could to keep him behind. In the end, to be on the podium is a great result."
Regarding the elbows-out move on Norris, Verstappen said, "I have my opinion, but I don't need to say it here. I let the stewards do their thing. For us, it was a race; we learnt a lot, and we will analyse that."
The Red Bull driver extended his Championship points lead over Norris this weekend from 52 to 57, with five rounds to go Verstappen is a step closer to his fourth title in a row.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri was P5 on a weekend he shadowed teammate Norris again, the pair losing a point collectively to Red Bull whose other driver Sergio Perez was P7 on the day.
Not a good day for Mercedes
Mercedes' driver George Russell finished P6 after a pitlane start due to his Qualifying crash on Saturday. But it did little to hide the fact that Mercedes had a bad weekend at the races. Lewis Hamilton enduring one of his worst Qualifying sessions and a race that ended in the kitty litter far too early.
Nico Hulkenberg scored precious points for U.S.-owned Haas with P8 while VCARB's returnee Liam Lawson impressed with P9 despite starting at the back of the grid. Franco Colapinto continued his impressive streak with P10 and a point for his efforts in the Williams. Both rookies beat their more experienced teammates today.
Final word to the 2024 United States Grand Prix winner Leclerc: "We did a great job. The pace of the car was really good. That's thanks to the engineers. They have been working like crazy to bring upgrades that we had in Singapore and the last few races. It seems to be paying off.
"The whole team is working super well. Pit stops were good and everything worked out well, so really, really happy. We are still targeting the title but it's a good start to this triple-header," added the Monegasque driver.
2024 United States Grand Prix Result
How the race at COTA unfolded:
Top 12 drivers on Pirelli yellow-band Mediums. Stroll, Colapinto, Hamilton, Zhou and Russell starting from the pits all on Hards.
Lights out and Leclerc blitzes off the line to emerge P1 with Verstappen and Sainz chasing, Norris dropping to P4 after being hung out to dry by the #1 Red Bull. Albon clips Ocon exiting Turn 1.
Lap 2: Sainz lunges at Verstappen, both go wide but the order remains the same. Ferrari keeps pressure on Red Bull. Top 10 at the end of Lap 2: LEC-VER-SAI-NOR-PIA-GAS-MAG-TSU-PER-ALO. With Hamilton up to P12.
Lap 3: Leclerc leads by 1.3s. Hamilton beaches his Mercedes in Turn 19. Safety car deployed for the first time in ten races, since the Canadian Grand Prix! During the SC period, Norris complained about Verstappen's move on the exit of T1.
Lap 6: Green! Leclerc goes hard with Verstappen under his wing, but to no avail, as the Ferrari edged ahead out of DRS range with relative ease. Setting the fastest lap in the process. Verstappen in P2 had Sainz big in his mirrors. Norris is a further two seconds back in P4. Top 10 within 11-seconds.
Lap 8: Lawson sweeps around Alonso, the Spaniard fights back as the pair tussle just outside the points.
Lap 9: Sainz reports of lack of power and smell of fuel in the car.
Lap 10, Top 10
Lap 10: Guanyu spins in T1 by himself, and drops to the back of the field.
Lap 12: Leclerc edging ahead oif Verstappen, with Sainz's issue apparently sorted. Lawson, up eight positions, gets by Alonso in their ongoing battle for P11.
P14: Ferrari employs their Plan B (two stops?) for Charles Leclerc.
Lap 16: Russell in P12, gets a five-second penalty for forcing Bottas off-track a couple of laps earlier. Team boss Wolff radios his driver: "Total joke."
Lpa 17: Perez finally gets past Tsunoda for P8. Magnussen pits from P7.
Lap 20, Top 10
Lap 22: Sainz boxes for Hards from P3, Verstappen undercut attempt is on.
Lap 24: Leclerc is 10 seconds ahead of Verstappen in P2.
Lap 25: Norris in P3 closing in on Verstappen whoo reports "left-hand side tyres are quite bad now."
Lap 26: Verstappen boxes but emerges P6 behind Sainz who made the undercut work. They are the only two in the top 10 to have pitted.
Lap 27: Leclerc pits with a ten-second lead. A slick stop by the Ferrari crew with Leclerc emerging behind the McLarens who had yet to stop. Norris leading Paistri by 4.6s.
Lap 28: Hulkenberg pits from P6. Notably still to stop, tookies Lawson and Colapinto are P9 and P8.
Lap 30, Top 10
Lap 31: Leclerc takes P2 from Piastri.
Lap 32: Norris finally boxes and emerges P4 six seconds behind Verstappen. The McLaren on six lap fresher Hards.
Lap 33: Piastri pits from P5, and emerges six seconds behind Norris.
Lap 34: Norris sets the fastest lap. Gasly gets a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in Albon battle a few laps earlier.
Lap 35: Leclerc sets PB with a seven-second lead over Sainz in P2 who is 4.5s ahead of Verstappen in P3. Norris is 3.8s adrift of his title rival.
Lap 36: Tsunoda gets a 5-second penalty for his overtake on Albon. Colpainto in P8 and Russell P6 yet to stop.
Lap 37: Lawson makes his first pit stop and comes out P10 ahead of Tsunoda.
Lap 38: Perez gets past Colapinto for P7.
Lap 39: Magnussen told to pit from P9.
Lap 40, Top 10
Lap 40: Sainz ramps up the pace in P2, but Leclerc answers with the fastest lap up ahead.
Lap 41: Russell pits from P6 serves his five-second penalty, and emerges P8 behind Hulkenberg and ahead of Lawson. Yellow flags for Tsunoda spin at Turn 1, down in P14.
Lap 42: Verstappen leads Norris by 1.6s with the |McLaren closing faster on fresher tyres.
Lap 44: Norris is DRS range of Verstappen. Game on! Ferrari duo are seven seconds up the road in their own race.
Lap 45: Russell in P8 sets the fastest lap.
Lap 47: Verstappen vs Norris gets ultra-tasty.
Lap 50, Top 10
Lap 52: Norris overtakes Verstappen but goes over track limits. Tensions are high.
Lap 54: Stewards to investigate Norris's overtake. They deem him to have transgressed track limits three times with the overtake. He is given a five-second penalty.
Lap 64: Ahead Ferrari have a one-two assured. Verstappen is P3.
Latest News
Loading
