United States Grand Prix 2018 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Kimi Raikkonen claimed a popular and emotional victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, ending a five-year winless drought dating back to the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. The Finnish driver's triumph at Circuit of the Americas marked his final win in Formula 1 and provided a fairy-tale ending to his Ferrari career before his move to Sauber for 2019.

Starting from third on the grid behind pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton, Raikkonen executed a brilliant strategic race to claim his 21st career victory. Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull after a charging drive, while Hamilton completed the podium in third for Mercedes despite starting from pole position. The newly-crowned World Champion set the fastest lap but couldn't match the pace of Raikkonen's perfectly-executed one-stop strategy. Sebastian Vettel finished fourth for Ferrari, unable to provide a strong challenge on what should have been competitive ground.

The victory sparked jubilant celebrations from the Ferrari crew and fans alike, with Raikkonen's characteristically understated radio message - "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing" - becoming an instant classic. At 39 years old, the Iceman proved he still had the speed and racecraft to win at the highest level. The result was a bittersweet moment for Ferrari fans, as they celebrated Raikkonen's final win in red while acknowledging that the 2018 championship had slipped away due to missed opportunities and driver errors throughout the season.