5 Things We Learned From the United States GP

Lando Norris finished second in Sunday’s GP after struggling to pass a defiant Charles Leclerc for the majority of the race. The Monegasque driver, who finished third, benefited from starting on the soft compound tyre and jumped the Briton at the start.

Verstappen has reduced the gap to 40 points with leader Oscar Piastri after the weekend, which saw both McLarens finish the Sprint pointless after crashing into each other on the opening lap.

The four-time champion admitted “there is a chance” when asked if he believes he could claim a fifth title.

Let’s take a look at five things we learned from the US GP:

5 – Red Bull fined for removing Norris’ Grid Tape

Red Bull, engaged in some shenanigans or tomfoolery this weekend in Austin, and was fined £50,000. The reason? One of the mechanics attempted to remove the tape placed by McLaren to help Norris park correctly in the grid box. Removing the tape isn’t illegal, but the mechanic in question was in an area deemed off-limits and got caught ignoring marshals’ instructions. Drivers can be penalised for not lining up within the extremities of the grid box, and this was Red Bull’s aim.

4 – An American team scored points in Austin

Haas might not be considered a true American F1 team, despite their owner Gene Haas hailing from Ohio. The 72-year-old would have been smiling from the hospitality area on Sunday as his rookie driver, Oliver Bearman, scooped ninth position and another two points for the team. The young Brit outshone his more experienced teammate Esteban Ocon and crucially didn’t collect any more penalty points.

3 – Has Ferrari finally found its feet?

The Italian team showed strong pace this weekend as the upgrades paid dividends in the Sprint and GP. Ferrari finished fourth and fifth in the Sprint and third and fourth in the GP. Charles Leclerc recorded his sixth podium of the season, his 49th in total. The Monegasque driver was the only driver to start on the soft tyre compound and jumped Norris at the start to take second spot. He drove brilliantly, and the McLaren only gained the position back late into the race. The team hopes this weekend’s performance isn’t track-specific and will want to take the momentum into Mexico City.

2 – Red Bull’s undeniable pace advantage

Since the summer break, Red Bull has been working hard on new upgrades to the RB21. According to reports, since team boss Laurent Mekies took over from Christian Horner, the cars now run 100% power from Friday practice. This is in comparison to running the cars at 80% on Fridays under Horner’s reign. This weekend’s upturn in pace was also due to the tweaked front wing, and they have also been able to run the car lower and gain more pace. Verstappen’s wins and Yuki Tsunoda’s seventh-place finish in the GP are a testament to the RB21 being the fastest car on the grid.

1 – Is Piastri cracking under pressure?

The Australian has led the championship from the start, but has seen his closest rival and teammate whittle the lead down to 14 points. When asked by the BBC F1 journalist Jennie Gow if the pressure is getting to him, Piastri said the pressure has always been there. The Australian is gunning for his maiden championship, and while he’s still in the driving seat, the looming threat of Verstappen (only 40 points behind) is another factor to deal with.