Verstappen wins US GP 2025 from pole as Piastri's lead shrinks

Max Verstappen won the 2025 United States Grand Prix from pole at the Circuit of the Americas, leading every lap and finishing 7.959 seconds ahead of Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc was third. Championship leader Oscar Piastri could only manage fifth, so Austin cut two gaps at once: Norris is now 14 points behind his McLaren teammate, Verstappen 40.

It was a complete weekend for Red Bull. Verstappen had already won Saturday's Sprint from pole, a race in which both McLarens were eliminated at the first corner when contact with Nico Hülkenberg pushed Piastri into Norris. On Sunday he was 1.4 seconds clear after one lap and never came under threat on the way to his fifth win of the season.

How Norris got past Leclerc twice

The race behind him was the interesting one. Leclerc, the only front-runner to start on softs, went around the outside of Norris into Turn 1 and then defended the inside line for 20 laps. Norris picked up a black and white flag for track limits while trying, and finally got through at Turn 12 on lap 21.

The single pit stop undid that work. Norris rejoined behind the Ferrari again, now on the quicker tyre but with fronts he said were already fading, so he dropped back, cooled them and went again. On lap 51 he dived down the inside at Turn 1, Leclerc switched back, and Norris settled it with DRS into Turn 12.

Saturday's qualifying had set the order. Verstappen took pole by 0.291 seconds from Norris, with Leclerc six thousandths further back and George Russell fourth. Piastri, still chasing the balance of a car repaired after the Sprint crash, was sixth.

Norris vs Piastri, Leclerc vs Hamilton

Inside McLaren this was Norris's weekend without argument: ahead by 0.305% of the lap in qualifying, ahead by more than 21 seconds at the flag. Piastri passed Russell at the start, then spent most of the afternoon short of grip and stuck behind a Ferrari. Their head-to-head now stands at 10–9 to Norris in qualifying and 10–8 in races in our count.

Ferrari's internal duel went the same way. Leclerc out-qualified Lewis Hamilton by 0.113% and finished 13 seconds ahead. Hamilton gained a place at the start and kept it, holding off Piastri to the line despite a suspected puncture on the final lap. On F1 Duels, Leclerc leads 14–5 on Saturdays and 14–3 on Sundays.

Tsunoda, Antonelli and the Sainz collision

Yuki Tsunoda had one of his better Sundays, climbing from 13th on the grid to seventh and surviving a fight with Oliver Bearman, who spun after lunging at the Red Bull into Turn 15. It does not move the Red Bull duel: Verstappen leads 17–0 in qualifying and 15–0 in races.

Kimi Antonelli's afternoon effectively ended on lap 7. Carlos Sainz tried to pass him into Turn 15, they touched, Antonelli spun and Sainz retired with heavy damage, bringing out a virtual safety car. The stewards put Sainz predominantly at fault and gave him a five-place grid penalty for Mexico. Antonelli recovered to 13th, Russell finished sixth, and the rookie now trails 1–18 and 0–15. Every pairing from the weekend is on our US GP duel page.

What it means for the title

Five rounds remain, with Mexico next. Piastri leads Norris by 14 points and Verstappen by 40, and both of them beat him in qualifying and in the race here. So did both Ferraris on Sunday.