Max Verstappen turned issues round for McLaren with an important efficiency on the American Grand Prix.
Listed here are 5 massive issues we discovered from our massive weekend in Austin.
Verstappen is unstoppable
Verstappen’s commanding victory on the US Grand Prix has elevated the strain on McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
After the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen was 104 factors behind Piastri. Over the following 4 races, the Purple Bull driver managed to shut the factors hole to simply 40 factors with 5 races remaining.
Verstappen was in full management of each the dash and grand prix in Austin, taking two dominant pole positions and highlighting the enhancements Purple Bull had made to the automobile.
With new confidence and momentum at his facet, the four-time world champion continues to combat tooth and nail to attain the largest comeback for the F1 title.
The factors distinction stays giant, suggesting Verstappen can’t be the favourite to win one other championship, however he has been right here earlier than and is aware of precisely find out how to carry out when the strain is excessive.
The rebound for Verstappen and Purple Bull has been extraordinary, with Verstappen now firmly within the hunt for a fifth world championship. As of now, he appears unstoppable.
Verstappen is simply 40 factors off the highest of the championship
McLaren and Piastri must bounce again
McLaren are in dire want of a reset after Verstappen’s crushing defeat within the title race.
Verstappen’s kind shall be a wake-up name for McLaren amid a decline in its competitiveness because it loses the benefit it loved earlier within the season.
In Austin, McLaren sadly ended up battling Ferrari slightly than Verstappen, as each Piastri and Norris dropped locations in entrance of the resurgent and reigning world champion.
Piastri particularly shall be required to rebound. The Australian has been out of kinds since his nightmarish weekend in Baku and has seen his championship benefit dwindle over the previous 4 consecutive tournaments.
Piastri has constantly outperformed Norris and seems to be tightening up below rising strain. He urgently must reverse his current run of kind. In any other case they may lose their shrinking benefit on the high.
Piastri had a tricky weekend in Austin.
A glimmer of hope for Ferrari
Charles Leclerc had an important race and took third place after a mid-race battle with Norris, taking his sixth podium of 2025.
It has been a really troublesome and disappointing season for Ferrari, however the Scuderia’s efficiency at COTA on Saturday and Sunday was encouraging.
Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton took third and fifth on the grid, shifting into third and fourth on the checkered flag, with Ferrari boasting sturdy race tempo.
Regardless of setting an undesirable podium document for Ferrari, Hamilton matched his greatest consequence since becoming a member of the Scuderia and feels he has lastly taken a step ahead with the SF-25, regardless of current issues with the automobile.
Ferrari’s first podium since July, placing it forward of Mercedes within the race for second place within the constructors’ championship, represents a much-needed aid for the Italian group amid continued noise surrounding the group.
Leclerc’s sixth podium of the 12 months places a smile on Ferrari’s faces
Mercedes returns to Earth
After George Russell’s gorgeous victory in Singapore, Mercedes was introduced again to earth in the US.
Russell dropped from 4th to sixth place at first, however was unable to problem the automobiles in entrance and completed in that place. In Austin, Mercedes’ tempo slowed and the Brit was successfully in no-man’s land.
A really contrasting weekend in Singapore and Austin just about sums up the 2025 Mercedes story. Extremely quick, capable of come out of nowhere to contend for victory in a single race, then fade into obscurity for a number of occasions.
Mercedes’ inconsistency has been a seamless theme all through the bottom results period from 2022 onwards. They are going to be one of many groups that shall be completely happy to see this regulation enacted subsequent 12 months.
Hiroki Tsunoda’s time is up
Tsunoda appears destined to lose his Purple Bull seat
Hiroki Tsunoda’s Purple Bull breakthrough continued as he had an encouraging weekend, ending seventh in each the dash and essential grand prix because of a troublesome restoration drive.
Regardless of Tsunoda’s current enchancment in kind, the Japanese driver’s destiny seems to have already been determined.
Purple Bull is anticipated to announce its 2026 driver line-up after subsequent weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, with Tsunoda broadly anticipated to lose his seat alongside Verstappen to Isak Hajjar.
I really feel like Tsunoda’s enchancment is just too gradual. Tsunoda’s future in F1 stays unsure and there’s no assure he’ll discover a spot with sister group Racing Bulls.
