While burnt orange may be Austin’s signature color, the city shined red on Sunday when Ferrari crossed the chequered flag in the top two spots at COTA. Their race results mark the Italian team's first 1-2 finish in the United States since 2006 with Micheal Schumacher and Felipe Massa.
Leclerc and Sainz celebrating their 1-2 finish at the US GP. Courtesy of Ferrari.com.
The Texas circuit hosted the fourth sprint race of the season, with Max Verstappen seeming back up to par after claiming pole position on Friday. He converted pole to P1, gaining eight points to widen the gap in the championship title.
Mercedes looked to be the top contender during the weekend but fell short. George Russell moved back from P2 to P5 during the sprint, while Lewis Hamilton only gained one position behind him to claim P6.
It was a shocking turn of events for Oscar Piastri, as he was out of Q1 putting him in P16 to start the sprint race. While McLaren has been the top-performing team in the past few races, Oscar failed to create a lap time to put him through.
He moved up six places during the sprint, but it wasn’t enough to earn the team points. As McLaren is still in first place in the constructors’ standings, points from both drivers are crucial to maintaining the lead.
Carlos Sainz had a great start to the weekend, managing an overtake on Lando Norris in the final lap of the sprint race, earning himself P2. Norris had a brilliant start in the sprint, moving to second at turn 1, but it wasn’t enough to keep off Sainz.
Haas earned their stars and stripes during the sprint race, getting both cars into the points. As a midfield team, points are extremely important in the team standings, especially towards the end of the season.
Hours following the sprint race, the drivers were right back on the grid to begin qualifying for the grand prix. The drivers and teams had a chance to look at what went right and wrong during the sprint race to modify their strategy and car ahead of the next event.
Events at COTA continued to heat up, with Hamilton being knocked out of Q1 for the first time at the Austin circuit in his career. As the first-ever winner of the race in 2012, he has never qualified out of the top five spots, and the Q1 exit was a big shock for the British driver.
During Q3, the big question was whether Norris or Verstappen would take pole position. The entire crowd was tense, but the fight was cut short after Russell’s crash at turn 19, ending qualifying early.
Norris managed to keep pole position, saying that his lap was one of his best in qualifying of his career so far. Verstappen and Sainz followed behind, with mere hundredths of a second between the top three qualifiers.
Norris, Verstappen, and Sainz were the top three qualifiers at COTA. Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool/ Getty Images.
Following the race, penalties were applied to Zhou Guanyu, Liam Lawson, and Russell. Zhou was given a five-place grid penalty, while Lawson and Russell would be starting the race from the pit lane. Lawson’s penalty was not ideal, as he needs as many opportunities as possible to prove himself in order to get a seat for the 2025 season.
As the lights went out, Norris and Verstappen went side-by-side at Turn 1, with both drivers going wide. The battle between the top two gave the perfect opportunity for Ferrari to gain positions. Leclerc managed to take the lead from fourth place, with Sainz slotting into third.
The racing didn’t last long, however, as Hamilton’s bad luck continued after he spun into the gravel at Turn 19. He was unable to restart the car, knocking him out of the race. With the British driver being disqualified at the 2023 US Grand Prix, he doesn’t seem to have the success he once had at the circuit.
Once the safety car left the track and the drivers were back to racing, Leclerc began building a gap ahead of the Dutch driver. He eventually had a seven-second lead in the race, showcasing the brilliant comeback from Ferrari during the weekend.
As the drivers began to pit, it was clear the top of the field was going to attempt a one-stop race. This can be difficult at the Texan circuit due to the heat and how quickly tyre degradation can happen. However, the safety car potentially benefited the drivers who took the risk to execute this strategy.
Kevin Magnussen wasn’t as lucky, as he was frantically urged to pit a second time frantically by his race engineer. This second stop opened the door for VCARB to move into the points, wrecking Magnussen’s race.
The most thrilling part of the race proved to be the battle between the two title contenders. Norris and Verstappen had many nerve-wracking moments during the back end of the race, fighting at multiple different corners on the track.
Verstappen’s brilliant show of defense held off Norris for multiple laps, but it all fell apart on lap 52. Both drivers went off the track at Turn 12, with Norris overtaking at the end. However, the question was whether Verstappen forced Norris wide, or if the British driver went off to gain an advantage.
That question went unanswered for multiple laps, with McLaren choosing not to give the position back for the chance that Norris would not receive a penalty. He was already on thin ice due to track limits, so the Papaya team was playing a risky game.
As the final lap began, Leclerc continued to lead the pack down to the chequered flag. The stewards eventually handed Norris the penalty, costing him a podium spot in Austin. Piastri slowed down on the final lap, ensuring that his teammate would still gain maximum points in the title battle.
Leclerc crossed the chequered flag to win the United States Grand Prix, his third win of the season. The Monegasque driver dominated the race from the first turn, and he proved to be the best car on the track, earning himself driver of the day.
Leclerc, Sainz, and Verstappen celebrating their podium finishes at the US GP. Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool/ Getty Images.
Leclerc is now only 22 points away from Norris in the title fight. He may not be able to take Verstappen’s reigning crown, but he may be able to fight for the second-place spot in the 2024 season.
After seven races without a place on the podium, Carlos Sainz was back on form in Austin. With a second-place podium position, the Italian team gained maximum points that helped move them up in the constructors’ championship.
If Ferrari continues with the precision and pace they showed in Texas, they will have a strong shot at winning the team championship. This would be the team’s first constructors’ win since 2008, marking another place in history.
McLaren still currently leads the team standings by 40 points. The two papaya drivers are still managing good race results, but the top spot could be taken from them in the last few races.
While Mercedes had a rough start to the weekend, Russell showcased a brilliant drive at COTA. Starting from the pit lane in last place, he managed to move up to P6, earning himself and the team eight points.
It was a great weekend for the rookies, as Franco Colapinto and Lawson finished inside the points. COTA was Lawson’s first race back in the VCARB, and he started from the pit lane, showing just how impressive his drive was.
Colapinto earned a point for the team and his second points finish of his F1 career. Alpine and Williams are in a battle for eighth in the constructors’ standings, and this point helped them keep the lead.
Haas managed to leave Austin with seven additional points for the team for a total of 38 points in the 2024 season. The American team is now P6 in the constructors’ standings, a massive upgrade from their last-place position in 2023.
The 2024 United States Grand Prix hosted brilliant fights, crashes, and unexpected race results. Everything is bigger in Texas, so it’s no surprise that the Formula 1 race was no different.
With two races remaining in the triple header and five races left in the season, there is much more that can happen before a driver and team is crowned champion. Formula 1 returns in Mexico from October 25-27 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.
Edited by Reese Dlabach
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