Formula 1 United States GP: Max Verstappen takes 50th win with Hamilton, Leclerc disqualified

Max Verstappen, the triple world champion from Red Bull, clinched his 50th Formula One career victory, matching a season record of 15 wins at the U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from second place after post-race inspections.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who finished sixth, was also excluded due to excessive wear on the mandatory wooden plank beneath the car's floor.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff accepted the outcome, stating, "Others got it right where we got it wrong, and there's no room for interpretation in the rules. We need to accept it, learn from it, and come back stronger next weekend."

Hamilton's disqualification elevated McLaren's Lando Norris to second place, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz taking the third spot on the podium. However, the ceremonies had concluded before these changes.

This victory marked Verstappen's third consecutive win at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, equaling the record for the most wins in a single season with four races to spare, a record he set last year.

Red Bull and Verstappen, who began the race in sixth place, had already secured both the constructors' and drivers' titles.

Verstappen faced challenges with his brakes throughout the race and received boos from some spectators as he stood on the podium. He commented, "The whole race, I was struggling a lot with the brakes. You could see it was very close to the end."

Norris, who started from the front row, took the lead from pole-sitter Leclerc at the first corner but couldn't maintain his lead throughout the race.

On the positive side, Norris's performance allowed McLaren to surpass Aston Martin and secure fourth place in the constructors' standings.

Verstappen, who was fifth at the end of the first lap, eventually overtook Norris on the 28th lap out of 56, using the DRS drag reduction system. However, he didn't create an insurmountable lead, and Mercedes remained hopeful that they could catch up with their upgraded car.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez finished in fourth place, with George Russell of Mercedes in fifth. Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll followed. Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri secured eighth place and earned a bonus point for the fastest lap.

Unexpectedly, Williams' duo, Alex Albon and rookie Logan Sargeant, claimed ninth and tenth places, with Sargeant scoring his first point in his home race.

If Verstappen wins in Mexico the following weekend, he will match the tally of four-time world champion Alain Prost and may surpass former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel's 53 wins before the season's end.

The race saw retirements from Alpine's Esteban Ocon, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso due to collisions.

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