Rarely does the battle for the bottom step on the podium take all the attention off the race winner, but at the Circuit of The Americas the back-and-forth fight between championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris had to be seen to be believed.
While Charles Leclerc and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz jnr secured an impressive one-two result for the famous “Prancing Horse” after acing the start of the race, it was the battle for third between Verstappen and Norris over the closing stages that made for compulsory viewing.
The battle in Austin between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris was enthralling.Credit: Getty Images
Leclerc started fourth on the grid and came out of the opening corner – a tight, uphill left-hander – with control of the race after a dive bomb down the inside in the lightning-fast Ferrari, which is well in the thick of a three-way dogfight with McLaren and Red Bull for the constructors’ title.
But Norris in fourth, trying desperately to find a way past his title rival Verstappen on turn 12 on lap 52 of 56, looked like he’d secured an all-important points advantage going into the final stages of the season.
But stewards ruled that Norris had secured the overtake outside the track limits and would later hand him a five-second penalty – dropping him back behind Verstappen into fourth.
Speaking to host broadcaster Sky straight after the race, Verstappen was composed when asked about Norris’ manoeuvre.
“I have my opinion, but I don’t need to say it here – I’ll let the stewards do their thing.”
Melbourne’s Oscar Piastri kept his car clear of danger but didn’t quite have the pace of the top four, finishing fifth. New Zealander Liam Lawson, in his first race since taking Daniel Ricciardo’s former RB seat, impressed in ninth.
