F1 United States GP - Live commentary and updates
Live updates from Formula 1's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas
By: Jake Boxall-Legge, Haydn Cobb, Megan White
Summary
|
|
Leaderboard
|
Status: Stopped
And that's all from us! We'll see you in two weeks' time for the Mexican Grand Prix - as we enter the final five races.
Here's the race report, if you fancy reliving that thrilling US GP: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-united-states-gp-verstappen-holds-off-hamilton-charge-for-victory/6708799/
That was an event to savour, wasn't it? Verstappen now leads the standings by 12 points, as Hamilton cuts the arrears with the fastest lap.
Leclerc finishes fourth, 24s ahead of Ricciardo, as Bottas eventually passed Sainz for sixth! Norris finishes in eighth, Tsunoda ninth, and Sebastian Vettel gets the last point.
Raikkonen, with an injured Alfa Romeo after his spin, is overtaken by Stroll on the final lap to see the Aston Martin driver move up to 12th place at the finish.
Hamilton doesn't get DRS down the back straight, and Verstappen holds on - and wins the United States Grand Prix!
Hamilton brings the gap down to 1.1s with two laps to go, struggling at the start of the next lap but manages to cut it down to 0.8s!
But Hamilton responds, bringing the gap back down to 1.5s on that previous lap! Just a bit of respite?
Ah, Vettel is handed 10th place as Raikkonen spins off at Turn 6. The Finn is able to continue after a rumble over the grass and gravel but that has wrecked his race as he drops to 12th place behind his team-mate.
Vettel gets the move on Giovinazzi done, taking 11th around the outside under braking at Turn 12. He is now going after former team-mate Raikkonen who holds the final points place.
Verstappen's opened the gap by a tenth on the previous lap, stalling Hamilton's progress for the time being. Perhaps Hamilton's been charging up, or maybe he's taken too much from the tyres.
Vettel has got within DRS range of Giovinazzi and is weighing up a move for P11. Meanwhile, Alonso has retired from the race with an issue with the rear of his car - the same fate that ended team-mate Ocon's race.
The turbulence from Verstappen's Red Bull is beginning to play with Hamilton in the opening sector now, reducing the Mercedes' drivers progress. Verstappen's been told to focus on his corner exits if DRS comes into play.
Stroll becomes the latest driver to be shown the black and white flag - this time it is for track limits. He'll need to be careful for the rest of the race or face a time penalty.
Hamilton closes out lap 48 by bringing the gap down to 2.1s now, but the pace margin he has over Verstappen is reducing with every lap.
Vettel is up to P12 and edging towards Giovinazzi ahead of him. 1.3s split the pair, with a lot of other battles on hold as drivers manage tyre life to ensure they can reach the finish with a flourish.
Raikkonen's hunt of Tsunoda has cooled off during the 'getting out of the way of the leaders' phase, with the Finn now two seconds behind. 10 laps to go.
Verstappen's pushing to try and re-open the gap to Hamilton, setting a personal best, but Hamilton's still half-a-second quicker on lap 45. It's a 3.4s gap.
Ricciardo's fighting for his life over Sainz, and the Spanish driver's second attempt to pass results in a touch. "That got a bit dirty," said Sainz, accusing Ricciardo of nudging him on purpose.
Ocon's day is over. He is told to retire his Alpine over team radio due to "an issue with the rear of the car".
Mazepin has been shown the black and white flag, with Raikkonen given the same flag seconds later. It'll most likely be a warning for ignoring blue flags.
Sainz has a look at Ricciardo down at the back straight, but the McLaren driver holds on to fifth for the time being.
Vettel proved to be a stumbling block for Hamilton in the opening sector, but after lapping him, the Mercedes driver guns it in the last sector to cut the gap to 8.1s.
And here comes Vettel for his second stop, on lap 39, duly coming out in 13th place, with time to chase down Giovinazzi and company in front.
Vettel is the only driver yet to pit for a second time in this race. He's ninth currently and if he pits now should come out around P13 and in the train for the final points places led by Tsunoda.
So, Verstappen's now out 8.8s ahead of Hamilton. No more stops, and Hamilton can put pressure on with fresher boots.
Trending
Latest news
Brake issues hindered Rosenqvist’s chances of IndyCar victory in Long Beach
Long Beach
Brake issues hindered Rosenqvist’s chances of IndyCar victory in Long Beach
Ayrton Senna's famous Honda NSX up for sale
Ayrton Senna's famous Honda NSX up for sale
Yamaha to test completely new MotoGP bike at Jerez
Spanish GP
Yamaha to test completely new MotoGP bike at Jerez
Top Comments