VERSTAPPEN MAKES IT THIRTEEN IN TEXAS

Red Bull were crowned 2022 World Constructors Champions at the action-packed United States Grand Prix as Max Verstappen tussled with the best of the best to storm home in first place, AUTO ACTION’s Reese Mautone reports… 

On a day in which Red Bull were hunting down the Constructors Championship, Max Verstappen had a nearly perfect start from second on the grid, overtaking Carlos Sainz before Turn 1. 

The Ferrari driver dropped back on the opening run down, defending from the locked-out Mercedes second row before being spun around by George Russell at the exit of the first corner. 

Sainz was forced to retire after damage to the radiator of his F1-75 caused a water leak, and Russell was handed a 5-second time penalty for causing the incident. 

Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, lost the left end plate of his front wing after early contact, a hindrance in overtaking Russell’s Mercedes in the opening stint. 

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko and driver Max Verstappen celebrate an emotional win on Austin podium. Photo by Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images

Second place in the Drivers Championship, Charles Leclerc started in P12. By Lap 10, the only remaining Ferrari driver was up in P7 putting in lap times equal to the front runners. 

Hamilton made his first pitstop in Lap 13, opting for the hard tyres and triggering Verstappen to react. George Russell followed suit and served his 5-second penalty, releasing Sergio Perez into clean air before he pitted. 

Valtteri Bottas beached his Alfa Romeo in the gravel trap after he lost the back end at Turn 19, causing a full Safety Car. 

The SC played perfectly into Ferrari’s hands, allowing Leclerc to capitalise on a quicker stop, bringing him out ahead of Russell on a set of new hard tyres. 

Valtteri Bottas walks away from his beached Alfa Romeo C42 after spinning into the gravel during the United States GP. Photo by Mark Sutton / Sutton Images

At the Safety Car restart, Fernando Alonso made a successful move on Pierre Gasly, getting his Alpine into P8, before being involved in a very heavy crash with Stroll. The incident saw the Canadian’s late defensive move send Alonso and his Aston Martin flying into the barriers. 

Stroll was forced to retire, while Alonso pitted for a new front wing and rejoined the race as the Safety Car was deployed yet again. 

The second restart saw no changes, as Verstappen took an early approach to his getaway, again remaining clear of Hamilton and being out of DRS range. 

Leclerc got within DRS range of Perez, however, reported Red Bull’s straight-line speed was too fast. On his first attempt at overtaking, the Ferrari ran wide at Turn 12, giving up the position temporarily so as not to gain an unfair advantage, however, a lunge down the inside at Turn 12 one lap later saw him take third place. 

Pierre Gasly, who led a 4-car DRS train composed of Yuki Tsunoda, Lando Norris and Mick Schumacher, received a 5-second penalty for falling more than 10 car lengths behind during the Safety Car. The Frenchman pitted, serving his penalty and emerging in last place. 

Daniel Ricciardo struggled to make an impact on the race, trailing out of the top 10 for the entirety of the Grand Prix, as his teammate reported damage caused by debris from the Alonso-Stroll incident.

Hamilton pitted on Lap 35 to go for the undercut on Verstappen, forcing the Red Bull driver into what was a shocking pitstop. 

Verstappen was stationary for 11.1 seconds as an issue with his front tyre gun not only took time out of his race but allowed Leclerc to overtake him in the pitlane. After exchanging positions in an exciting battle, Verstappen stuck the move into Turn 12, leading Leclerc on the chase down to Hamilton. 

Lewis Hamilton briefly led the field but fell just short of a breakthrough win at Texas. Photo by Sam Bloxham / LAT Images

With 10 laps to go, Norris in P8 had taken on the role of the ‘late-breaker’, having used that tactic to complete overtakes on both Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon. 

The 2021 title rivals provided a magnificent demonstration of racing as Verstappen made his final overtake on Hamilton for the lead of the race on Lap 51. 

As Max Verstappen crossed the line in first place for the 13th time this season, and Sergio Perez in fourth, Red Bull claimed the Constructors Championship for the first time since 2013 on an emotional weekend for the team with the loss of Dietrich Mateschitz. 

Lewis Hamilton came home in a hard-fought second place, followed by Charles Leclerc who raced from twelfth on the grid to a third-place podium finish.

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