Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton for United States Grand Prix victory and constructors' championship
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Updated 23/10/2022 at 22:48 GMT+1
Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz started in pole but he was down to last after spinning out and retiring on turn one of the Austin Grand Prix on Sunday evening in the United States. It was a dramatic race from the start as it came down to a battle in the final laps between Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, which was won by the current world champion.
'We have been close to perfect' - Verstappen on second F1 world title
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the chequered flag at the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas to take his 13th race victory of the season and help his team secure their fifth constructors’ championship - their first since 2013.
The Dutchman knew before the Grand Prix that a win would be enough to secure the double for Red Bull, and he started the race from second place, behind polesitter Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen got off to a brilliant start as he got past Sainz on the run down to the first corner, but there was drama seconds later as Sainz dropped down to the back of the grid after contact with the Mercedes of George Russell spun him out. The Spaniard was forced to retire from the Grand Prix a lap later due to a water leak.
On Lap 18, with Verstappen out in front ahead of Hamilton and Perez after the first round of pit stops, a safety car was deployed after Valtteri Bottas beached his Alfa Romeo into the gravel in the final sector.
On Lap 22, another one was triggered after Fernando Alonso crashed into the back of Lance Stroll down the back straight, which briefly sent the Alpine into the air before it hit the barriers. The Aston Martin was forced to retire due to terminal rear wing damage, but miraculously, Alonso managed to recover and get back to the pits for repairs. The race resumed on Lap 26.
With the gap to Verstappen ahead of him at 1.2 seconds, Hamilton opted to pit on Lap 35 from P2 for a set of hard tyres to try and get the undercut. However, when the Dutchman responded and came in for a pit stop a lap later, an issue with the front left tyre cost the Red Bull driver valuable time, and he emerged back out behind both Hamilton and Leclerc.
With 16 laps to go, Hamilton took the lead and with a gap of over three seconds to both Leclerc and Verstappen behind him, the Mercedes driver was in with a good chance of securing an unlikely victory.
However, Verstappen got past both Leclerc and Hamilton and retook the lead of the race on Lap 50 with a move down the inside of the Mercedes driver into Turn 12, and he remained out in front until the chequered flag as Hamilton had no answer to the Red Bull's pace.
Hamilton finished five seconds behind the Red Bull in P2, with Leclerc securing a fine podium to finish third.
DRIVER OF THE DAY - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
The Aston Martin driver produced a brilliant drive in the face of adversity for his team today to take a fantastic P8 to take home two world championship points.
He started in the top ten for this race after penalties elsewhere, and a good strategy call by the team to maximise the medium tyres saw him lead the Grand Prix on Lap 41 after staying out as long as possible during his second stint. Unfortunately, a poor pit stop a lap later cost him dearly as he was projected to rejoin the pack in P6. Instead, he dropped to P13 and had to fight his way through the field to secure a points finish.
On his last visit to this circuit as a driver, he managed to sneak into eighth into the penultimate corner of the final lap, as he got past the Haas of Kevin Magnussen. A great drive from a legend of this sport.
WHERE THE RACE WAS WON AND LOST
LAP 1/56 - We are underway for the 2022 United States Grand Prix! Verstappen gets away the better and leads the race! Sainz has a shocker from pole and loses out at Turn One as he is tagged from behind and spins! Russell hits the Ferrari into the hairpin and the Ferrari will have to retire from the race!
LAP 14/56 - VERSTAPPEN PITS! - from the lead for a set of hard tyres, following in Hamilton's footsteps, who pitted the lap before. He comes back out in P2, five seconds behind Perez. Russell also pits from P3 and serves his five second penalty.
LAP 18/56 - SAFETY CAR - There are waved yellow flags in the final sector as Bottas spins his Alfa Romeo into the gravel. Race control opt to deploy a safety car. This will help out Leclerc hugely, as he can get a cheap pit stop under the SC. He goes onto the hard tyres and saves a good ten seconds. He emerges back out in P4.
LAP 22/56 - AWFUL CRASH AND ANOTHER SAFETY CAR - There is an awful crash down the back straight as Alonso is into the wall after going into the back of Stroll's Aston Martin. There is a lot of debris on the track and we have another safety car just a lap after it came into the pits.
LAP 35/56 - HAMILTON PITS FROM P2 - Mercedes act and try to get the undercut on Verstappen. He fits a set of harder tyres and emerges back out in P6. He was around 1.2 second behind the Red Bull before he entered the pits.
LAP 36/56 - AWFUL STOP FOR MAX - Verstappen opts to box for tyres to respond to Hamilton's stop a lap earlier and Red Bull get it horribly wrong! The car is stationary in the pit box for far too long as they struggle to get the front left onto the car! He emerges back out behind Hamilton and Leclerc and in P6!
LAP 41/56 - HAMILTON TAKES THE LEAD - Hamilton takes the lead of the race! He makes the move on Vettel down the inside of Turn 1! He is around 3.5 seconds ahead of Verstappen, who is in P3. Can the Mercedes push now and pull out a gap out in front? A first race victory of the season could be on the cards!
LAP 50/56 - VERSTAPPEN RETAKES P1 - Verstappen makes a late lunge down the inside of Turn 12, and gets the move done to take the lead! Hamilton tries to do the switchback to get back on the inside at the exit of the corner, but he has to yield to place.
OVERTAKE OF THE DAY:
LAP 30/56 - Leclerc gets past Perez down the back straight one lap later! He uses the DRS once again, and opts to divebomb and brake late down the inside into Turn 12. He succeeds, and uses every inch of the track on the exit to make the move stick! What a brave move and the Ferrari is now up into P3.
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