On Sunday, October 19, the five red lights went out at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas for the Formula 1 MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix 2025. This is the second of three Formula 1 weekends in the United States, following the Miami Grand Prix in May, and preceding the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
This weekend was a sprint weekend, which means on Saturday the 20 drivers on the grid line up for a sort of “mini-race” that is shorter, does not require a pit stop, and is worth less points. However, due to the ongoing championship battle between McLaren teammates and now rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, along with four-time consecutive World Champion Max Verstappen, every point matters. Verstappen qualified first for the sprint, and after a racing incident at turn one that left both McLarens out of the race, Verstappen would cross the line in first, gaining eight points, while his title rivals left empty-handed.
What really matters and made the difference however was the race. Even though Verstappen failed to set a second fast lap in qualifying, it was good enough for first once again. Lando Norris rounded out the front row, and his teammate Oscar Piastri qualified sixth. As the race began, Verstappen maintained his lead, but Charles Leclerc of Ferrari overtook Norris to claim second in the opening stages. Leclerc started the race on soft tires, giving him the advantage over Norris’s mediums. Early into the race, Williams’ Carlos Sainz made contact with the Italian rookie, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, ending the race for the Spaniard. The main focus of the otherwise lack-luster race was the battle for second between Leclerc and Norris. Norris was able to reclaim his spot before the first round of pit stops, but lost it due to an undercut by Leclerc. During the last few laps, Norris, with the tire advantage overtook Leclerc, and took back the second spot on the podium. Verstappen led every lap, finishing first, followed by Norris and then Leclerc. Crucially, championship leader Piastri finished fifth, and Verstappen reduced the gap to 40 points in the championship.
With five races left, this is a very manageable gap for the four-time champion, as he looks to become only the second driver in history to win five in a row. Earlier this year in Hungary, Verstappen thought he would not win a race for the rest of the season, but he has proven himself wrong. If Verstappen manages the championship, it would go down as arguably the greatest comeback in sports history.
