RACE REPORT: Verstappen takes 50th win at United States GP with brake issues

Despite brake issues, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen managed to claim his 50th career victory at the United States Grand Prix holding off a late-charging Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.

How the race unfolded…

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc lined up in pole position, ahead of the main grand prix event, with McLaren’s Lando Norris alongside in second. When the lights went out, the McLaren had the better start and edged out his Ferrari competitor down the inside at turn one. 

As a result, the Briton managed to take control of the race as the new race leader while Leclerc and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz completed the top three on the exit of the first corner. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen rounded out the top five. 

It wasn’t long before Hamilton and Verstappen started cutting their way through the field. Hamilton soon put Sainz in between himself and Verstappen as the Briton overtook the Spaniard down the back straight for P3. 

By lap six, Hamilton moved up to second place as he completed the move on Leclerc, in a similar manner to Sainz previously. This meant Verstappen was behind the Monegasque in third after he passed the Ferrari Spaniard.

Verstappen found himself within DRS range by lap nine, down the pit straight, as the two tussled over third place. The Monegasque was able to hold on for two laps before the Dutchman inevitably passed Leclerc down the back straight. 

Leclerc did try to fight Verstappen for track position, although he went off the track, but the Ferrari driver quickly yielded as he filtered into fourth ahead of Sainz in fifth. 

Of the top three drivers, Verstappen was the first to blink and pitted from the race on lap 17 from third. The Dutchman committed to a two-stop strategy as the team exchanged his worn mediums for another set of fresh medium compounds. 

Norris pitted a lap later, on lap 18, but Hamilton was forced to run longer before he peeled into the pit lane on lap 21.

On lap 28, Verstappen inevitably found himself in the lead of the race as he completed the move on Norris down the back straight. The McLaren driver attempted to fight back but he fought air as Verstappen edged out in front. 

Norris returned to the pits for his second stop on lap 35 to swap over his hard tyres for a fresh set, in a bid to undercut Verstappen. When the Red Bull world champion pitted, a lap later, the attempt failed as the Dutch driver returned to the circuit ahead of his fellow competitor. 

With an offset strategy, Hamilton peeled into the pit lane for his second stop – on lap 39 – and exchanged his hard tyres for the mediums. The seven-time world champion pitted from the race lead, after Verstappen and Norris’ stops, and found himself in fourth. 

Hamilton was soon on the gearbox of Leclerc who was an unfavourable one-stop strategy and soon made light work of the Monegasque, albeit later than he would’ve hoped. 

At the same time, Verstappen began to have problems with his brakes and ordered his race engineer to not talk to him ‘in the braking.’

On lap 49, Hamilton was within DRS range against Norris down the pit straight. Norris attempted to defend up the hill into turn one but the McLaren compromised his exit at turn one which allowed Hamilton to get by. 

With a handful of laps to go, it looked as if Mercedes’ had given Hamilton too much work to do to have a chance of winning the race as just less than five seconds separated the seven-time world champion from Verstappen. 

However, hindered by the brake issued, Hamilton found himself within two seconds of the defending world champion on the final laps. 

Fortunately for the Red Bull driver, Verstappen was able to hold off Hamilton’s charge to secure his 50th career win as the two crossed the finish line two seconds apart. 

It was later found that Hamilton and Leclerc’s car was not in compliance with the technical regulations for excessive wear of the plank. Both drivers were disqualified from the race where Hamilton and Leclerc finished second and sixth respectively. 

Podium (after Hamilton and Leclerc disqualifications):

1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Lando Norris, McLaren
3. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

That’s all for the article; RACE REPORT: Verstappen takes 50th win at United States GP with brake issues!

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified from the US Grand Prix
• Verstappen holds off Hamilton’s late charge to take 50th win in F1 US GP
• US GP: Verstappen secures Sprint Race win with ease with 8s over Hamilton
• US GP: Verstappen pole redemption as top three separated by 0.069s
• US GP: Leclerc gains F1 pole after Verstappen exceeds track limits
• Haas F1 sports new one-off livery for US Grand Prix

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.