US GP 2024: Leclerc leads Ferrari 1-2 as Norris loses podium

Charles Leclerc won the 2024 United States Grand Prix from fourth on the grid, finishing 8.562 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz for Ferrari's first one-two at the US Grand Prix since 2006. Max Verstappen took third at the Circuit of the Americas, but only after the stewards gave Lando Norris a five-second penalty for the move that had taken the place from him four laps from the end.

The win was settled at the first corner. Norris launched well from pole and went into Turn 1 side by side with Verstappen, both ran wide, and Leclerc took the inside line into the lead. An early safety car for Lewis Hamilton's stranded Mercedes changed nothing. After his only stop, Leclerc briefly sat behind the two McLarens, which had stayed out longer, passed Oscar Piastri on lap 31 and was back in front as soon as Norris pitted.

How Norris lost third to Verstappen

Sainz did the strategic work for Ferrari's second car. He undercut Verstappen on lap 22, Red Bull did not cover it straight away, and Verstappen rejoined behind him after his own stop. McLaren ran both cars long for a tyre offset, and it gave Norris the pace to close on Verstappen from lap 47.

After several attempts, Norris braked late around the outside at Turn 12 on lap 52. Both cars left the track and the McLaren came back ahead. The stewards ruled that Norris had gained an advantage off the circuit, and he crossed the line about four seconds clear, which was not enough. He ended up fourth, 0.942 seconds behind Verstappen, and pointed out that Verstappen had also run wide at the start without giving anything back.

Leclerc vs Sainz, Norris vs Piastri

Saturday had gone to Sainz: third on the grid, ahead of Leclerc by 0.095% of the lap. Sunday was a different race. Leclerc's start decided it, and Sainz also had to deal with a loss of power in the corners around lap 9 before Ferrari sorted it. In our count Leclerc leads Sainz 12–6 in qualifying and 12–5 in races.

At McLaren there was no argument. Norris took pole and beat Piastri by 0.672% of the lap, the largest gap of any top-four team this weekend. Piastri finished fifth, 1.567 seconds behind his teammate after the penalty. On F1 Duels, Norris leads 15–4 on Saturdays and 12–7 on Sundays.

Lawson's return, Russell from the pit lane

Liam Lawson, back in Daniel Ricciardo's seat, had new engine parts fitted and started from the back. A long first stint on hards, then mediums, brought him home ninth. Yuki Tsunoda spun at Turn 1 and took a penalty for passing Alex Albon off track, finishing 14th. One race in, Lawson leads 1–0 in both columns.

Mercedes had the strangest weekend. George Russell crashed in Q3, started from the pit lane after parc fermé changes to his car, served a five-second penalty for forcing Valtteri Bottas wide, and still passed Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Pérez late to finish sixth. Hamilton, out in Q1, spun into the gravel in the opening laps and was the only retirement. That race is left out of our model, and Russell leads 14–5 and 10–5.

What it means for the title

Verstappen had already won Saturday's Sprint, so he outscored Norris in both races and leaves Austin 57 points ahead with five Grands Prix and two Sprints remaining. Leclerc is 22 points behind Norris. McLaren still lead Red Bull by 41 points in the constructors' championship, with Ferrari now only 8 behind Red Bull. Every pairing from the weekend is on our US GP duel page.