Under The Texan Sun: The 2025 United States Grand Prix
Oct 22
3 min read
Under the watchful, relentless heat of the Texan sun, the 2025 United States Grand Prix unfolded, where the drivers raced against the testy winds and the unpredictable curveballs, once again reminding everyone that this race never unfolds quietly. From deleted lap times to early retirements, to a title fight tightening by the second, this weekend was not just a turning point of the season, but a point (pun intended) of no return.
THE SPRINT
The track temperature of 42°C/108°F and an air temperature of 29°C/84°F, prompted drivers to opt for cooling vests for the second race in a row after the Singaporean Grand Prix.
Then came the dreaded Turn 1 of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). In the midst of post-lights scrimmaging, both McLarens were instantly wiped out. It was an instant DNF for Piastri and Norris, with the Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso for company. There was enough debris to build a front wing from scratch.
Yuki Tsunoda thrived on the chaos and gained 11 places amidst the carnage. Ollie Bearman jumped eight places. Nico Hulkenberg, who was caught in the carnage, unfortunately dropped 11 places. My personal highlight was the George Russell and Max Verstappen battle that saw the former attempt a dive bomb to drive both drivers off-track.
Max Verstappen, who started in P1, won the Sprint with George Russell finishing in second place. Behind them was Carlos Sainz, who had the Austin crowds screaming in celebration of his podium finish.
QUALIFYING
If one took a shot every time “track times deleted” appeared on the screen, one would have gotten completely wasted by the end of the session. COTA’s white lines were cursed, with the worst hand being dealt to Alex Albon, who lost a key lap that would have carried him into Q2.
The sole red flag of the session came after Isack Hadjar hit the wall in Q1.
By the end of Q3, Max Verstappen had seized Pole Position, Lando Norris qualified P2, and Charles Leclerc P3. It was a front row that was poised to deliver all the entertainment one can imagine, and it sure did.
THE RACE
So for once, there was no Lap 1, Turn 1 crash. There was, however, a collision on Lap 7 - Carlos Sainz hitting Kimi Antonelli. The Williams driver not only became the sole driver not to finish the race, but he got a five-place penalty for the Mexican Grand Prix.
That aside, Max Verstappen was ahead of the others from start to finish, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc battled it out for second place for almost the entirety of the race, and Lewis Hamilton was just behind, finally feeling confident in the peculiar creature that is the Ferrari car.
Verstappen won the race, Norris managed to outmaneuver his way into second place at the eleventh hour, and Leclerc had to settle for third place. Hamilton finished in P4 with Piastri a literal second behind in P5.
POINTS
Piastri continues to lead the rankings with 346 points, Norris remains in second place at 332 points, and Verstappen, still in third, has equal odds of winning at 306 points.
I have always felt that it was a three-way title battle between Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen, but the post-race results have made the Drivers’ Championship title anyone’s to seize. And I think we can all agree that none of them will go down without a fight.
This ought to spice things up for the remaining rounds.
On a separate note, Lewis Hamilton became the first driver in Formula One history to surpass 5,000 career points, once again setting the standards for everyone else to try to keep up with.
Next up is the Mexican Grand Prix. Here’s a fun fact to get the vibe started: Carlos Sainz, who won last year, was the last Ferrari driver to win a race.
