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Max Verstappen once again reigned supreme in Austin, but Lando Norris showed that the gap between Red Bull and McLaren might be smaller than it looked on paper. The Brit finished second behind Verstappen, yet many believe the United States Grand Prix could easily have unfolded differently.
Close, but not close enough
Norris started from second on the grid, three-tenths behind Verstappen in qualifying, and McLaren entered the weekend confident they could mount a serious challenge. The Circuit of the Americas is notorious for its heavy tire degradation — an area where McLaren seemed particularly strong.
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Verstappen admitted after the Sprint race that tire management had been tricky. “If the McLarens hadn’t touched in the first corner, they might have had me,” he said afterward. That remark only reinforced the sense that McLaren had missed a golden opportunity.
Leclerc spoils the start
Ahead of Sunday’s race, Red Bull adjusted the car setup to improve tire wear, but the battle everyone expected never truly materialized — largely due to Charles Leclerc. Starting from P3 on softs, the Ferrari driver dived up the inside of Norris at Turn 1, forcing the McLaren man to back off and slot in behind.
“After what happened in the Sprint on Saturday, I didn’t want to take any big risks into Turn 1,” Norris explained. “I chose the inside line on purpose to avoid a repeat of that incident. Charles made a good move, and I lost the position.”
McLaren had the pace to fight
By the time Norris finally cleared Leclerc, Verstappen had already built an 11-second lead. “During the race, I could keep up with Max’s pace, but I was stuck too long. There just wasn’t more in it,” Norris said, sounding pragmatic about the outcome.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella agreed that victory wasn’t out of reach. “We saw that our pace was strong enough to win,” he said. “But the incident in the Sprint and some of our setup choices probably cost us that opportunity.”
A narrowing gap
In the end, Verstappen claimed yet another win, but Norris and McLaren walked away encouraged. The pace difference between the two teams is shrinking, and Austin proved that Red Bull’s dominance isn’t absolute. For Norris, the message was clear — he may not have beaten Verstappen this time, but he’s getting closer with every race.
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