US Grand Prix result: Max Verstappen wins in Austin with Lando Norris second and Oscar Piastri fifth

Norris started alongside Verstappen on the front row, hoping McLaren’s usually strong race performance would allow him to challenge the Red Bull driver, who had won two of the past three races and beaten the McLarens in all of them.

But Norris’ hopes of the win evaporated quickly as Leclerc used the extra grip of the soft tyres – he was the only driver in the top 10 to pick them for the start, with everyone else on mediums – to catapult into second place at the first corner.

Verstappen built his lead through an early virtual safety car period caused by a collision between Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. The Spaniard was forced out of the race and later given a five-place grid penalty for next weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix after the stewards decided he was “predominantly to blame”.

Norris tried in vain to pass Leclerc, with Hamilton in close attendance. Several times Norris challenged on the outside at Turn 12, at the end of the long back straight, but he was never close enough to really try for a pass.

As Verstappen built his lead, Leclerc held on until just before he stopped for fresh tyres on lap 22, fitting the medium compound.

Verstappen stopped a couple of laps later, never losing the lead and enjoying an untroubled win, his third in four races and fifth of the season, matching Norris’ tally.