Leclerc's late fightback and Verstappen's Red Bull troubles: the battle behind Antonelli in Austin

Kimi Antonelli was untouchable at the front of the United States Grand Prix, but the fight for the remaining podium places produced the most compelling racing of the afternoon in Austin. Ferrari came good late on to put Charles Leclerc second and Lewis Hamilton fourth, while Max Verstappen salvaged third in a Red Bull he said was misbehaving all weekend.

How Leclerc found a way past

Ferrari had looked fast in practice before fading to the second and third rows in qualifying, and both cars started on the soft tyre. Leclerc made an aggressive start and briefly got ahead of Verstappen in the opening sequence of corners, only for the Red Bull to take the place back on lap two.

The Scuderia pitted Hamilton and Leclerc for mediums in the mid-teens and then stopped them again around laps 39 and 40 for hard tyres. That second stop was the key. With fresher rubber in the final stint, Leclerc passed Lando Norris's struggling McLaren and closed on Verstappen. He got within half a second, deployed overtake mode and completed the move for second on lap 49, eventually finishing 13.078 seconds behind Antonelli. Hamilton followed him past Norris to claim fourth, about a second shy of Verstappen.

Verstappen's catalogue of problems

Verstappen made no secret of his frustration. He reported trouble with gearshifts and inconsistent engine braking throughout the race, which made it hard to repeat his braking points, and he said his launch had again been affected by a recurring issue.

Strategy also worked against him. Red Bull brought him in for softs on lap 14, earlier than Pirelli had projected, which he said committed the team to a two-stop race almost immediately. His second stop on lap 32 was slowed by a problem at the right front wheel, leaving the car stationary for about 3.9 seconds. He admitted Antonelli was out of reach but felt more was possible, reflecting that "maybe we could have been second."

Team-mate Isack Hadjar stretched his opening set of softs much longer than expected and let Verstappen through when instructed, before finishing sixth.

What it means for the standings

Both Leclerc (233 points) and Verstappen (236) are now mathematically out of the drivers' title race after Austin, since neither can overhaul Antonelli's 365 with 125 points left. Hamilton, on 241, remains in contention only in theory, one point behind George Russell.

The result matters more in the constructors' table. Ferrari's 30-point haul moved them to 474, still 133 behind Mercedes but well clear of the pack. Behind them, McLaren and Red Bull are now tied on 355 points in the fight for third place, with four Grands Prix after Mexico City still to come. With Norris fifth and Oscar Piastri seventh, McLaren scored 16 points to Red Bull's 23 on the day.

Next stop: altitude

The circus heads straight to Mexico City, where the thin air at more than 2,000 metres above sea level affects cooling, aerodynamics and power units. Ferrari will hope the momentum from their late-race pace carries over, while Red Bull have only days to address the drivability issues Verstappen described.

Key takeaways

• Leclerc passed Norris and then Verstappen on fresh hard tyres to finish second.
• Hamilton took fourth, giving Ferrari 30 points from the race.
• Verstappen finished third despite gearshift, engine-braking and pit-stop problems.
• McLaren and Red Bull are now level on 355 points in the constructors' championship.

FAQ

When did Leclerc overtake Verstappen? On lap 49 of 56, using fresher hard tyres and overtake mode to take second place.

What went wrong for Red Bull? An early first stop forced a two-stop strategy, Verstappen's second stop was slowed by a wheel problem, and he reported gearshift and engine-braking issues.

Can Leclerc or Verstappen still win the 2026 title? No. With 125 points left, neither can reach Antonelli's 365.

Sources: Formula1.com, Scuderia Fans, Grande Premio, Sky Sports, GrandPrix.com