Ferrari clinched the 2024 United States Grand Prix with a spectacular double at the Circuit of the Americas, thanks to Charles Leclerc ‘s victory and Carlos Sainz’s second place. The Monegasque driver took advantage of a frenetic start to take the lead, overtaking Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at Turn 1 after a daring maneuver on the inside. From there, Leclerc maintained an impeccable pace throughout the race, demonstrating great tire management and control of the distances with his rivals. For his part, Sainz executed a perfect strategy, getting ahead in the pit stops to secure his position on the podium, showing great consistency throughout the race.
Both drivers showed absolute dominance, controlling the critical phases of the race and executing error-free pit stops, which allowed them to keep their closest rivals, including the competitive Red Bull and McLaren, at bay. This result marks Leclerc’s third win of the season and reaffirms the growing competitiveness of Scuderia Ferrari, which continues to improve towards the end of the season.
Hamilton's accident
The United States Grand Prix was especially challenging for Lewis Hamilton, who had one of the worst weekends of his career. The Briton saw his race end prematurely on lap 3, when he lost control of his Mercedes and crashed into the gravel trap at Turn 19. The incident prompted the safety car to come out, neutralizing the race in its early stages.
Hamilton, visibly frustrated, closed a weekend to forget in a circuit that in other years had been the scene of great successes for him. This accident not only complicated Mercedes’ aspirations in Austin, but also left the team in a difficult situation, especially after the five-second penalty for George Russell, who had started from the pitlane and was struggling to come back.
Norris sanction
Lando Norris, who had taken pole position after a lucky spin in qualifying, was caught up in drama during the closing laps of the race. The McLaren Briton had managed to overtake Max Verstappen on lap 53, but did so by exceeding the track limits in an attempt to avoid contact with the Red Bull driver. This action cost him dearly, as the stewards decided to penalize him with five seconds, which snatched third place from him and returned Verstappen to the podium. Norris’ penalty not only thwarted his effort in a race where he had shown great speed, but also consolidated Verstappen’s lead in the overall standings, who continues to pull away from his rivals in the fight for the world title. While McLaren showed competitive pace in Austin, this strategic coup in the closing laps left Norris with a bitter taste as he missed a crucial opportunity.