Max Verstappen wins the US Grand Prix to extend his F1 world championship lead by 12 points over title rival Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen has extended his championship lead to 12 points after defeating Lewis Hamilton in a tense United States Grand Prix.

It was Hamilton who started well, leapfrogging Verstappen at the start and taking the lead into turn two. Sergio Perez, who started third, was side-by-side with Verstappen but yielded to his Red Bull team-mate going into the tight and twisty esses.  

The championship leader, Verstappen, started the strategy battle on lap 11 when he pitted for hard tyres. Hamilton and Mercedes didn’t respond until lap 14, but the British driver emerged behind the Dutchman. 

The second set of stops came just 15 laps later, with the Red Bull going early yet again for another set of hard tyres. However, Hamilton decided to go long on his tyres. Verstappen had brought the lead down to just over 11 seconds, and that’s when Hamilton pitted. He emerged eight and a half seconds behind Verstappen with 20 laps to go.

With five laps remaining, just under two seconds split the front two, and Hamilton had DRS on Verstappen on the very last lap. But the Dutchman found just enough pace on his worn, hard compound tyres, and took victory – by a second – with what team boss Christian Horner called a classy’ display. Perez took the final podium spot.

Elsewhere on the Texas track…

Charles Leclerc drove a quietly, strong race for Ferrari, finishing fourth. Daniel Ricciardo got back in form for McLaren, finishing fifth. Valtteri Bottas overtook Carlos Sainz late in the race to finish sixth with Sainz in seventh.

Lando Norris, in the other McLaren, was the last driver to not finish a lap down in eighth. Yuki Tsunoda rounded out a strong weekend by finishing ninth and Sebastian Vettel rounded out the points paying positions in tenth.

The F1 heads to Mexico in what continues to be a thrilling championship battle on November 7.

By Charlie Parker