Verstappen's Texas triumph piles pressure on McLaren

Max Verstappen won the US Grand Prix with a dominant run for Red Bull at the Circuit of the Americas, and with victory he has staked his claim as a genuine contender in an increasingly tight Formula One world championship battle - his title rival Lando Norris beaten into second and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc into third.

- Giles Richards

With Norris's McLaren teammate, and the championship leader, Oscar Piastri managing only fifth place from sixth on the grid, the F1 meeting in Austin has set up an enormously tense run-in as the season enters its final five meetings, with Norris closing to within just 14 points of his teammate. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was in fourth and George Russell sixth for Mercedes.

For Verstappen the win has put him emphatically back in the title fight. He now trails Piastri by 40 points and Norris by 26. His hopes for a fifth title remain a long shot, he needs to keep winning, but on this form and with the car looking increasingly impressive he will revel in bringing the pressure to bear the and has far more experience than Norris and Piastri in closing out at the sharp end of a championship.

Once Verstappen had held his lead from the start he was indomitable out front. He was aided in that any potential challenge from Norris was stymied when the McLaren driver lost second place to Leclerc through turn one. The Monegasque made a blistering opening on the quicker soft tyres, a gamble from Ferrari that paid off at Norris’s expense.