Brilliant comeback: Verstappen achieves his 50th victory

+++ UPDATE: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were subsequently disqualified + + +

The world champion in the Red Bull completed a comeback from sixth place on the grid with the optimal result and won ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes and McLaren driver Lando Norris. It was the Dutchman's 15th Grand Prix victory this year. Before that, only he had won so many races in one season, that was last year.

Verstappen crossed the finish line almost two seconds ahead of Hamilton. Only four Formula 26 grandmasters have currently achieved more victories than the 1-year-old. Hamilton (103) is ahead of Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) in the all-time best list. It was Verstappen's third Austin victory en suite.

Verstappen is in a league of his own. © ANSA / CHRIS GRAYTHEN

“You could see that it was really close in the end. It's incredible to win my 50th Grand Prix here. “I am of course very proud and we will continue to try to achieve even more,” he said afterwards. During his victory drive, the three-time champion complained of problems with his brakes several times, but these did not have a decisive impact.

Ferrari falls behind Norris won the start of the race from second place. The Brit took the first corners ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Hamilton was initially fourth ahead of Verstappen, but the two each overtook the Ferrari duo and moved up two positions. As the fastest man on the track, Hamilton then saw Norris and Verstappen fall back through pit stops. After his own, not ideal, stop, the Brit was only third behind the two and had to fight his way back up.

By the halfway point of the race, Verstappen had reduced the gap to Norris to less than a second. On the 28th lap, the world champion pulled off a strong maneuver and squeezed past his younger challenger on the brakes. As a result, he gained a three-second lead. Norris pitted a second time after the 34th lap, Verstappen reacted immediately and remained just ahead of the McLaren after the second stop a lap later.

While Verstappen approached the next victory, Norris had to defend his second place against the doggedly fighting Hamilton. He couldn't do that, Hamilton overtook him with seven laps to go. Behind Sainz, Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez took fifth place. Leclerc was sixth, George Russell seventh in the second Mercedes. Final results of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of the USA 1. Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull 1:35:21,362 2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes +2,225 3. Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren +10,730 4. Carlos Sainz (ESP) Ferrari +15,134 5. Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull +18,460 6. Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari +24,662 7. George Russell (GBR) Mercedes +24,999 8. Pierre Gasly (FRA) Alpine +47,996 9. Lance Stroll (CAN) Aston Martin +48,696 10. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) AlphaTauri +1:14,385 11. Alexander Albon (THA) Williams +1:26,714 12. Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams +1:27,998 13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER) Haas +1:29,904 14. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Alfa Romeo +1:38,601 15. Zhou Guanyu (CHN) Alfa Romeo +1 lap 16. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Haas +1 lap 17. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) AlphaTauri +1 lap

Retired: Fernando Alonso (ESP) Aston Martin, Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine, Oscar Piastri (AUS) McLaren

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Brilliant comeback: Verstappen achieves his 50th victory

Max Verstappen secured his 50th Formula 1 victory in Austin on Sunday.

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