The recent United States Grand Prix weekend showcased the excitement of Formula 1 racing at its most American venue, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin. Since the sport”s transition from Indianapolis to Austin in 2012, COTA has been recognized as a central race that captures the essence of American motorsport culture. This year, the USGP featured one of the six sprint race weekends in the 2025 F1 season, which slightly alters the traditional three-day format.
The weekend began with practice sessions on Friday, allowing drivers to reacquaint themselves with the track. Following practice, the sprint qualifying session took place, where Max Verstappen clinched pole position, closely followed by the two drivers from McLaren.
In the lead-up to the USGP, the previous race in Singapore saw intrateam clashes that resulted in both McLarens finishing third and fourth, while Verstappen secured second place. With the Constructors” Championship already in McLaren”s grasp, attention shifted to Oscar Piastri as a potential contender for the Drivers” Championship.
However, disaster struck for McLaren at the start of the sprint race when Piastri collided with Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg, forcing both McLarens to retire early. This incident allowed Verstappen to gain significant ground in the championship standings, as he was just 26 points behind Lando Norris, who was positioned second in the driver standings.
After the sprint race, the qualifying session for the main event took place a few hours later. There, Verstappen once again topped the time sheets to secure pole position. Meanwhile, Piastri, potentially hindered by damage from the sprint, qualified in sixth place. If the race had concluded at that moment, he would have only earned a modest eight points.
The COTA circuit comprises 56 laps, each approximately 3.4 miles long, giving Piastri multiple opportunities to regain lost positions during the race. Tire strategy played a crucial role, with Pirelli providing three tire types: soft, medium, and hard, with some also designed for wet conditions. Most top drivers chose medium tires for the formation lap, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari opted for the softer compound, a gamble that paid off as he made a strong start.
Norris, known for his struggles at race starts, lost a position on the opening lap, while his teammate improved to fifth place, where he ultimately finished the race. Early in the race, action intensified when Carlos Sainz of Williams collided with the Mercedes of rookie Kimi Antonelli, leading to Sainz”s retirement.
After several overtaking attempts, Norris successfully passed an opponent on lap 22. However, he faced a significant challenge as he sought to close a ten-second gap to Leclerc. Following a series of pit stops, Norris found himself back in pursuit of Leclerc, who had strategically switched tire types.
Ultimately, Norris displayed tenacity, capturing second place in the final laps of the race. In total, seven of the ten teams on the grid earned points during this intense weekend.
The F1 circus now heads to Mexico for the next race, where the battle for the Drivers” Championship is expected to intensify, potentially culminating in a dramatic finale in Abu Dhabi.
