AUSTIN, Texas — Another United States Grand Prix is in the books, and it ended with a surprisingly dominant Ferrari one-two victory.
Charles Leclerc sailed to his third Formula One win with ease, and Carlos Sainz wasn’t far behind once he pitted. The Prancing Horse has four wins this season, a year where Red Bull and Max Verstappen dominated early on before McLaren caught up with the one-two punch of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The constructors’ standings are tight heading into Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, with the top three teams separated by 48 points.
But more storylines continued developing this weekend, aside from the championship battle becoming tighter and the bib debacle. Questions about the stewards, track limits and racing rules surfaced again after Norris’ penalty for his maneuver on Verstappen. Franco Colapinto continued to shine as he secured another points finish, his second in five races.
Before the race weekend kicks off at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, we answered a few questions for our latest F1 mailbag.
Editor’s note: Questions have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
Racing rules and the stewards
If Lando had pulled out of the pass in Turn 12, would Max have gotten a penalty for pushing Lando off the track? If Lando takes the position and then gives it back, I think it takes a Max penalty off the table. Maybe the new way to pass Max in those situations is to brake more, let Max slide by and then dive to the inside and continue on the way as Max drives off the track. Can’t be penalized for that, I don’t think. – Michael R.
No, Verstappen would not have received a penalty for pushing Norris off the track, for the same reason that Norris did receive a penalty: the McLaren car was not ahead at the apex and had therefore lost the ‘right’ to the corner and the required room. An example of this kind of penalty being enforced comes with George Russell’s penalty against Valtteri Bottas, where he was behind at the apex, outbraked the Sauber driver, and then didn’t leave him room. Russell himself admitted that by the letter of the law, it was a penalty, even if he questioned the amount of common sense behind the ruling.
As a way to battle Verstappen, it’s a neat idea. But the thing to remember is this is Max Verstappen. He’s not only one of the most aggressive and difficult drivers to defend against but attacking him is also incredibly difficult. The earlier attempts by Norris to make a pass into Turn 12, trying to set something up for the rest of the sector, showed just how good Verstappen is in placing his car and blocking off any potential overtakes.
Norris noted post-race the need for commitment in any move you make against Verstappen. “With Max, you can’t just go half-hearted,” he said. And it’s so, so true. — Luke Smith
When is F1 going to get rid of the track limit fiasco? I’m so tired of seeing great racing canceled because the guy had the audacity to run over a track limit arbitrarily painted on the ground. Are race drivers telling people where to paint those lines? I highly doubt it. And while we’re getting rid of track limits, let’s get rid of the stewards who are not consistent. — Rick D.
Track limits remain a thorny topic within F1. They have been for many, many years. But they are necessary given that not every circuit can put down grass or gravel at every corner to serve as a natural deterrent.
The main reason for this is that many tracks don’t only host F1. So, they must be designed to accommodate other series (particularly motorcycle racing) with very different safety standards. Putting the gravel in and out would not really be possible.
“It does cost a lot of money when you have to do that,” Verstappen said when asked post-race if putting gravel down at Turn 12 would solve the issue. “And not every track can do that throughout the year. Yes, it would work, but I’m not sure how sustainable that is for the season.”
As for the stewards? It’s a topic that came back into the spotlight after Sunday. But the general view across F1 — away from specific situations where a team or driver may feel aggrieved — is that the current system of rotating a pool of stewards is the best one to ensure no biases set in. — Luke Smith
Ferrari’s outlook
If Ferrari’s car performs like this past weekend for the rest of the season, it bodes well for Ferrari as a constructor with Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton next year. However, how might things shake out among the two drivers? Will they be free to race? Will Leclerc battle Hamilton for first (I presume it’s not the other way around)? Will Ferrari develop a 2025 version of “papaya rules” (please say no!)? – C Y.
At the beginning of the 2025 season, it is safe to assume that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will be free to race. Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are currently allowed to do so. If a driver or the team is in title contention, this could be revisited, like McLaren eventually backing Norris this year over Piastri.
Hamilton is a seven-time world champion but will face a unique challenge with Leclerc. He is an all-around driver who is particularly strong in qualifying. Track position is key at numerous circuits as well. That being said, Hamilton has very few weaknesses, so assuming Ferrari’s car continues to improve in performance across multiple circuit types, it’ll be interesting to see how Leclerc and Hamilton compare to one another.
It’s not a given that Ferrari will be able to replicate its performance from Austin. That race showed the team is developing in the right direction. Sainz feels Mexico City and Las Vegas likely will be strong circuits for Ferrari again this year, but Qatar may be a “bogey track.” As for Abu Dhabi, “I’m not sure what we can achieve in Abu Dhabi, but let’s see.” — Madeline Coleman
Oldies but goodies
What are the drivers’ top 5 favorite tracks to race on? – Joseph J.
This answer likely varies from driver to driver, but a comment we frequently hear in the paddock is that the drivers prefer the traditional tracks to the newer circuits. Case in point, Carlos Sainz told me at Monza earlier this year that Circuit of the Americas, though a newer circuit, has an old-school feel.
“It’s a great race track, not only for qualifying but also they produce some great racing, and it’s one of those new tracks that feels more like an old school track, which is what I miss from all these new, modern tracks that they are designing,” Sainz said in September. “I miss the effect of an old school track like Monza, like Suzuka, Silverstone, and Austin has that. It’s a new track, but it feels like an old-school track.”
Those are likely among the favorites: Spa, Suzuka, Silverstone, Monza and Austin. — Madeline Coleman
The case for Franco Colapinto
Colapinto has really impressed thus far and seems to be driving the wheels off that Williams. Any sense he may manage a seat somewhere next season with his showing so far, maybe on loan from Williams? – M. S.
Having watched Franco Colapinto over the past few races. I was left feeling how I did watching Leclerc and Bianchi at Sauber. They always looked like they could easily take the next step. Any ideas where Colapinto might go in the future? I believe Helmut Marko has taken a shine to him. – Gerard M.
Colapinto has been one of the surprise stories of the F1 season. He was still racing in Formula Three 12 months ago, so for him to have joined the grid so seamlessly and perform at such a high level is refreshing. Williams’ call to replace Logan Sargeant has been easily justified.
But the team is in a tricky spot as to where Colapinto goes next. Given both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz’s multi-year deals, there’s obviously no room at Williams for the long-term future. James Vowles has already made clear he’d be open to letting Colapinto go, even with a heavy heart, if it meant getting him on the grid next year.
The only open seats for next season are at Sauber and RB. Sauber is yet to decide who will partner Nico Hulkenberg in its final season before evolving into Audi. Valtteri Bottas is the favorite to keep his seat, but F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto is also in the picture.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has spoken positively about Colapinto, and the RB line-up is yet to be finalized. Liam Lawson is a safe bet, presuming Red Bull doesn’t fast-track him to the senior team. In the event it did and wanted a new driver for RB, it already has a front-running F2 driver, Isack Hadjar, on its books.
Colapinto’s advantage over the other juniors on the fringes of F1 is that he has proved what he can do. The disadvantage is that he’s done so just as the market closes. So, as impressive as his displays have been, he might be in a Lawson-esque situation for 2025 where he’s made to bide his time. — Luke Smith
Austin vibes
It seemed like there was a lot of excitement around the event this year, both at the track and around the city. ESPN even did a few SportsCenters based at COTA. Do you feel the overall energy of the crowd was higher than in previous years? – Michael I.
I kept remarking to my colleagues about how much Austin has changed in the decade since I first came over for the United States Grand Prix. Now, you can’t go very far on an F1 weekend without some kind of presence from the sport. After all, this race has been the cornerstone of F1’s U.S. growth.
The billing of it as “the biggest weekend ever” around the city thanks to the Texas-Georgia football game and the concerts at the track was smart. This was the most packed and exciting schedule for an Austin F1 race yet.
As for the crowd energy? Each year, I’ve felt a step, even if the attendance has remained around a similar level in the past couple of years. This year was another sell-out crowd, even if an official figure wasn’t given, putting it in the 435,000 ballpark for three days. You could feel it, too. I took a walk up to the ‘Lone Star Land’ fan zone ahead of qualifying on Saturday, and it felt noticeably busier than last year.
But I always think the biggest tells are the little anecdotes from being in the city. On Tuesday, I went to a bookstore in the city center, and the cashier picked up on my accent and asked if I was in town for F1. She immediately asked for my views on what happened in the race — an IRL mailbag! — and was raving about how Liam Lawson, in particular, had performed. Another customer came running over to the counter and said, “Sorry to interrupt, but Lawson was absolutely the Driver of the Day, man! He was amazing!”
Little things like that wouldn’t have happened in Austin 10 years ago. Maybe not even five years ago. It’s lovely to see one of the best races on the calendar continuing to evolve and mature. — Luke Smith
Top photo: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
