Max Verstappen returned to winning ways four races later at the United States Grand Prix. The Dutchman hit the table in the fierce fight he has with Lewis Hamilton in the Formula 1 World Championship, increasing his advantage to 12 points. The Red Bull rider was able to endure the seven-time champion’s onslaught in the final laps to emerge triumphant from a race with extremely hard tire wear.
Carlos Sainz achieved a creditable seventh place against all the elements. Ferrari failed him again in a pit-stop , McLaren made him a sandwich and the stewards did not help him when Ricciardo left him the exposed front wing for scrapping. The Madrid driver could not hold the guy in the last laps in front of a whole Mercedes like Valteri Bottas to stay with six points on his locker.
Fernando Alonso played to give a show and almost took the MVP of the race. The Asturian had to abandon six laps to go due to suspension problems in his Alpine , but he overtook many riders from nineteenth position to fight for the points, starring in a fierce battle with Kimi Raikkonen. .
The race was a game of strategy with Hamilton surprising at the start by overtaking poleman Verstappen. Red Bull played two cards with the help of Sergio Pérez. The Dutch driver stopped earlier and made an undercat to his rival for the World Cup, who did not stop, but was threatened by the other Red Bull teammate. Thus, almost all the pit-stops were thrown until Hamilton had him within range in the last laps to try to overtake him without success.
In this way, Verstappen extends his advantage in a Formula 1 World Championship that still has five appointments to go. Red Bull is in the best position to end Mercedes’ hegemony , but Hamilton is showing that if his rivals fail, he will be there to take advantage of the mistake. The circuit of the Americas made it clear that there are two drivers competing in a different division than the rest.
