Lando Norris’s title aspirations took a hit with a fourth-place finish at the US Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc claimed victory at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, with Norris trailing behind Max Verstappen in a contentious race that saw Norris penalised by five seconds. As a result, Norris now finds himself 57 points adrift in the championship standings, with only 146 points left to contest over the final five races. Carlos Sainz completed a Ferrari one-two, further complicating Norris’s path to the title.
The race saw Norris engaging in a thrilling battle with Verstappen in the closing laps, culminating in Norris overtaking Verstappen on the 52nd lap. However, a subsequent investigation into the move led to Norris being penalised for running off the track. Despite crossing the finish line in third place, the penalty relegated him to fourth, a decision that could have significant implications for his championship hopes.
Prior to the US Grand Prix, Norris had struggled with poor starts in previous races where he started from pole position. While he managed to secure a win at the Singapore Grand Prix, his luck changed in Texas as he once again faced challenges right from the start. Verstappen’s aggressive move to overtake Norris early on set the tone for a competitive race.
McLaren boss Zak Brown criticised Verstappen’s manoeuvre as a “divebomb,” but the stewards did not take any action. Leclerc capitalised on the Norris-Verstappen duel to take the lead, ultimately securing the win. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton faced a disappointing weekend, qualifying poorly and retiring early in the race after losing control of his Mercedes.
As the race unfolded, Norris tried to close the gap to Verstappen but faced challenges with tyre performance. Despite his efforts to challenge for a podium finish, the penalty for the earlier overtaking move dented Norris’s chances of a higher placement. Ultimately, Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri finished fifth, further highlighting the mixed fortunes for McLaren at the US Grand Prix.