The pursuit of the championship title for Lando Norris took a severe hit when he got tangled in a contentious five-second penalty, pushing him to finish below his adversary Max Verstappen during the electrifying US Grand Prix. With Charles Leclerc scooping up an incredible victory at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, Norris, originally at pole position, ranked fourth – one position behind Verstappen – leaving him trailing by 57 points in the championship race with only 146 points remaining over the final five rounds. A Ferrari duo lead was completed with Carlos Sainz securing second place.
During the last dozen circuits, Norris was relentlessly on Verstappen’s tail, leading to an exciting finale. On the 52nd circuit, he finally overtook Verstappen. However, a swift inquiry into the overtaking was initiated by the stewards, concluding that Norris had strayed off the circuit and penalising him for the same. Norris finished third initially, four seconds ahead of Verstappen, but the penalty caused him to lose that position, a decision which could be crucial for his championship dreams.
Norris probably thought he had put behind his initial lap nightmares, which had so far been a thorn in his championship aspirations. Prior to the Singapore round, Norris had not managed to lead the first lap in any of the five previous rounds when he started from the pole position. However, the jinx was finally broken under the lights of the Marina Bay Circuit, with Norris securing the most decisive win of his career.
The American challenge at the Lone Star State, however, left Norris lamenting yet another insufficient start. The initial responsiveness of the McLaren driver was impeccable, and Norris could clearly distinguish between his McLaren and Verstappen’s Red Bull as he charged up the hill. But Norris cleared the way for Verstappen at the left-handed corner, which the three-time world champion didn’t hesitate in seizing. Verstappen, exerting more aggression on the brakes, darted ahead of his adversary. After straying off the track, Norris took to the radio to criticise Verstappen’s driving.
Following an intense race at the #USGP, Max Verstappen secured the third place but not without controversy. Norris vehemently claimed that Verstappen deliberately pushed him off track, drawing parallels with earlier events of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Previously at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen’s behaviour at the first corner prompted an investigation, and his Red Bull team advised him to give up the place. However, in this instance, no such directives were issued. Zak Brown, the McLaren team leader, criticised Verstappen’s sudden move as a “divebomb,” but the protest from him and Norris didn’t get attention. The race stewards neither noticed the incident nor initiated an inquiry.
Despite starting at fourth, Leclerc took the lead after Norris and Verstappen’s clash. Sainz slid into the third place, pushing Norris down to fourth. While the Austin track has seen Lewis Hamilton’s victory five times, and the US has seen his victory six times, the seven-time world champion suffered a forgettable weekend.
Hamilton’s poor performance resulted in him qualifying seventh and ranking sixth in the sprint sessions, and managing only a 19th place during the main qualifier. He even lost control of his Mercedes on the second lap’s penultimate corner, leading to an early exit from the race. After his vehicle got stuck in the gravel, a disappointed Hamilton ended his race, apologising to his team.
Amidst the chaos emerged the safety car, Leclerc efficiently handled the restart, keeping Verstappen and Norris at a safe distance. Sainz’s Ferrari remained untouched by Norris, and the race celebrated its victor enthusiastically on October 20, 2024.
At the beginning of the 24th round, Leclerc had established a 10-second lead over Verstappen, with Sainz, his teammate, making progress. By pitting four rounds earlier than Verstappen, Sainz managed to gain a position over the Dutch driver who made his pit stop on the 25th round.
In a bid to gain an advantage in tyre grip for the race’s final phase, Norris delayed his pit-stop until the 31st round. Upon exiting the pits, he was 6.6 seconds behind Verstappen but he managed to halve this lead in the ensuing six laps, affording him a glimmer of hope. Verstappen, admittedly frustrated with his tyres, claimed that they inhibited his ability to brake or make any offensive moves.
Norris began steadily closing in on Verstappen’s lead, and by the onset of the 44th round, he was just a second behind within DRS range. With only nine rounds to go, a survival battle ensued as Verstappen, showing his exceptional skill, fended off Norris.
During the 51st round, Norris believed he had surpassed Verstappen exiting Turn 13, but Verstappen managed to maintain his position in an increasingly intense defensive battle. However, on the 52nd lap, Norris edged past Verstappen on the pathway to Turn 12, reaching speeds of 346 km/h (215 mph), despite being off the track. He consulted his team on whether he should relinquish his position, but they encouraged him not to, insisting their man had been leading at the corner’s apex; the stewards, however, had a contrasting view.
Norris’s colleague, Oscar Piastri, ended the race in fifth position, just ahead of George Russell from Mercedes, who came in sixth.