United States Grand Prix 2024 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Ferrari claimed a dominant one-two finish at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, with Charles Leclerc leading home Carlos Sainz as the Scuderia capitalized on chaos behind them. The race was overshadowed by a controversial battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris that resulted in a five-second penalty for Norris, dealing a significant blow to his championship hopes.

Starting from fourth on the grid behind pole-sitter Norris, Leclerc executed a perfect strategy to take the lead and control the race. Sainz followed him home for Ferrari's first one-two finish since Australia, demonstrating the team's resurgent form. The real drama unfolded in the battle for third, where Verstappen and Norris engaged in fierce wheel-to-wheel combat. When Norris overtook Verstappen off-track at Turn 12, stewards deemed he had gained a lasting advantage and issued a five-second penalty, dropping him to fourth in the final classification and promoting Verstappen to the final podium spot.

The penalty sparked intense debate about track limits and racing rules, with Norris and McLaren furious at the decision. Esteban Ocon set the fastest lap for Alpine. The result extended Verstappen's championship lead to 57 points with just four races remaining, severely damaging Norris's title aspirations despite McLaren having the faster car. The controversial ruling highlighted the increasingly tense battle between the two championship rivals.