To the surprise of some, Scuderia Ferrari dominated the US Grand Prix, with pre-favorites Lando Norris and Max Verstappen only able to battle for third place.
Charles Leclerc perfectly recognized the "back door" offered to him by Lando Norris and Max Verstappen at the start, and starting from fourth position, he immediately took the lead. His compatriot, Lewis Hamilton, also had a great start, advancing from the back row to 12th in just a few corners, but as fast as he was, his fate caught up with him... The Briton slid into the gravel in the same place where George Russell had crashed in yesterday's qualifying session, and thus was out of the race. The safety car appeared, and with the departure of the safety car, the essential picture didn't change: Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Carlos Sainz were still at the front. Behind them, the two McLarens, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, followed in order. A spin from Guanyu Zhou followed, and some fighting at the back of the pack, but even then it was sadly clear that we would not record the 2024 US Grand Prix as the race of the century.
After the pit stops, the front of the field shifted slightly, and at that point, the two Scuderia Ferrari cars were dominating the race, while Verstappen struggled on the hard tires. We saw a wide variety of different strategies and tactics, but sadly, far fewer moments reminiscent of a motorsport race. The speedy Norris was expected to do something spectacular in the Austin desert, as was Liam Lawson, who put in a stunning performance in his comeback race. The intensity of the race was well reflected in the fact that the broadcast, for ten long laps, showed nothing but Norris chasing Verstappen, for the simple reason that nothing else happened.
Norris eventually made the switch, but in an uneven manner, so Charles Leclerc, who won the US Grand Prix, and Carlos Sainz, in second place, watched Max Verstappen cross the line in third.
