!['Sprint weekend robbed Hamilton of podium' - US Grand Prix hot takes](png/15e8d204fc878b797372bbab9c365aba532d7735-2.png)
'Sprint weekend robbed Hamilton of podium' - US Grand Prix hot takes
'Sprint weekend robbed Hamilton of podium' - US Grand Prix hot takes
!['Sprint weekend robbed Hamilton of podium' - US Grand Prix hot takes](png/15e8d204fc878b797372bbab9c365aba532d7735-2.png)
Max Verstappen claimed his 15th race victory of the season, and his 50th career win, by coming from sixth on the grid to win the United States Grand Prix.
The Dutchman nursed braking issues and a very fast Lewis Hamilton to take victory by just over two seconds.
Except...that wasn't quite the case, it turned out. When scrutineers examined Hamilton's Mercedes, they judged his skid blocks to be too worn down – and disqualified him from the final result.
The same happened to Charles Leclerc, robbing valuable points from Ferrari in their battle with the Silver Arrows, leaving a final podium of Verstappen, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr., meaning the Dutchman became just the fifth man in history to reach 50 career victories.
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Here is the GPFans team's takes on the main talking points from another fascinating F1 race...
GPFans journalists on the US Grand Prix
Chris Deeley: Lead Editor
This weekend showed, above all else, what F1 teams, drivers and fans will miss out on if sprint weekends are made the norm.
Instead of a genuinely pacy Aston Martin mixing it with their 2023 rivals, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll had to start prohibitively far back – all because their single practice session before Friday's qualifying was disrupted by a brake issue.
If that wasn't bad enough, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified for overly-worn skid blocks – something Toto Wolff directly attributed to Mercedes having just one practice session to get their setup right. Make no mistake – the sprint format robbed Hamilton of this podium.
Liberty Media are dead set on making Friday sessions 'more watchable', but it's clearly starting to impact the main event on Sundays, the one day that really matters. For what, the 20-lap procession we saw on Saturday evening? Something's got to give.
Stuart Hodge: GPFans Chief Editor
#P1Problems.
Max Verstappen moaned A LOT during the race. It wasn't quite as processional as usual but the dominant Dutchman took the spoils.
Austin didn't feel like it had the pizzazz and razzmatazz of Miami and what is expected in Vegas but it definitely seems like the marriage between the USA and F1 is only headed in one direction. It was enjoyable to see the spirit of the fans in the stands, the partisan American fans add a new dynamic to the sport.
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A word of credit for Max joining the 50-win club. Incredible work!
Matt Hobkinson: Lead Journalist and Editor
Well, it was always going to be Max. It certainly wasn’t as comfortable as we are used to, or Verstappen would have liked, but once again he got the job done.
A late charge for Ferrari briefly saw Carlos Sainz believe he could reel in Lando Norris, but the young Brit made sure that McLaren’s podium - as is customary in recent weeks - was once again secured.
After a lacklustre sprint, Sunday’s feature race certainly did not disappoint.
All eyes now excitedly turn to Mexico.
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Dan Ripley: Deputy Editor
There are three United States grands prix held over a season. Two of them attract all the off-the-track glam, bells and whistles etc, the other at Austin is where the meat and bones of an F1 race really is.
The Circuit of the Americas rarely fails to produce excellent races on its complex and challenging layout and even as another race ends with Max Verstappen winning - this was anything but boring.
Gripping until the end - forget the Miami and Las Vegas hype, this is the proper home of Formula 1 racing in the United States.
Shay Rogers: Lead Researcher
We haven’t been treated to many close finishes this year, and while we didn’t get to see any on track battles at the end, it was nice to feel some adrenaline pumping through my veins again.
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Special shoutout to both Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda for scoring their first points since the summer break, especially when the Aston Martin started from the pitlane. These final four races could be some of the better ones we have enjoyed all year!
Sam Cook: F1 Journalist
A race that promised so much for so long ends with the inevitable, another Verstappen win.
The Dutchman has been supreme this whole season, and anything his rivals throw at him, he seems to be able to come through the challenges.
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Joe Ellis: Race Reporter
It’s no coincidence that the best three drivers in F1 right now finished in the top three positions on a challenging afternoon in the Texas heat.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been and are still the undisputed best two drivers in the world but there has always been a bit of a question mark over the next best. That question mark is no more.
Lando Norris never fails to get the most out of his car every single race and even though he lost out to Verstappen at COTA, he still kept his head and brought home a fourth successive podium when others would have buckled.
Cal Gaunt: F1 Journalist
This is always a race I look forward to, and I’ve come away not feeling an ounce of disappointment. Okay, it could have been a less-than-predictable final result, but you can’t have it all.
The race was a captivating strategic battle, marked by differing tyre compound choices and variations in tyre age. The RB19 faced challenges it isn’t used to on the uneven track surface, and the race appeared to highlight what I (really) hope is a narrowing performance gap between Red Bull and their competitors.
McLaren again showcased impressive race pace via Lando Norris, but their tyres appeared to deteriorate faster than those on the Mercedes. Ferrari also secured valuable points, with Carlos Sainz leading the charge.
Well done to Lance Stroll, too, who rounded off what has been a largely disappointing weekend for the whole of Aston Martin with a points finish.
On to Mexico we go!
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Ronan Murphy: Social Media Editor
Clear eyes, dodgy brakes, can't lose.
Max Verstappen's brakes weren't at their best. Nor was his patience at times. But when that man is on form, he can't lose.
While much of America will be tuning in to NFL Redzone, Verstappen touched down with a brilliant win of his own to take his overall tally to 50.
Only Michael Schumacher did it quicker.
Verstappen is in that conversation now. And deservedly so. Forget the better equipment claims. How can it be better if it's not working properly?
Max just has the extreme focus and determination to win. And that he does. Again and again.
Texas Forever.
READ MORE: Verstappen oozes class to claim 50th F1 win in star-spangled drive
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F1 Standings
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Drivers
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Nyck De Vries
- Liam Lawson
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
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Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
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Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
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Grand Prix of Australia 2023
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Grand Prix of China 2023
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Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
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Miami Grand Prix 2023
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Qatar Airways Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
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Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
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AWS Gran Premio de España 2023
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Grand Prix du Canada 2023
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Grand Prix of Austria 2023
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Aramco Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
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Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
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Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
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Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
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Grand Prix of Italy 2023
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Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
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Grand Prix of Japan 2023
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Qatar Grand Prix 2023
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Grand Prix of the United States 2023
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Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
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Rolex Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2023
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Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
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Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
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