Max Verstappen equalled the record for most wins in a season as he passed Lewis Hamilton late on to win the United States Grand Prix.
The Dutchman’s victory means Red Bull Racing become the 2022 Constructors’ world champions for the first time in the turbo-hybrid era.
Red Bull have dedicated their successes to Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull Racing, who died at the age of 78 on the eve of the Grand Prix.
Despite a late pitstop blunder, Verstappen overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on Lap 39 and then Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton with six laps remaining to take the chequered flag at the Circuit of the Americas.
Hamilton finished in second, with Leclerc finishing in third after starting the race in 12th due to a grid drop.
After a poor pitstop Verstappen was left with some work to do; needing to overtake Leclerc and Hamilton to grab the win.
The two-time world champion excellently executed a perfect move on Leclerc to which fierce racing reignited a tied-up championship battle.
Race to forget for Carlos Sainz
Polesitter Carlos Sainz had the worst possible start to the race. Mercedes’ George Russell tagged the Ferrari causing the Spaniard to pirouette and retire from the race due to a radiator leak.
The pack was bunched up after a mediocre start to the race after Valtteri Bottas lost the rear of his Alfa Romeo causing him to beach his car in the turn 19 gravel trap, causing the safety car to be deployed
At the restart, Fernando Alonso slammed into the back of Lance Stroll on the back straight after the Canadian’s late defensive move leading to another safety car deployment.
Record-equalling Verstappen
Verstappen won his 33rd win of his career, his second at the Circuit of the Americas, matching the record for the greatest number of wins in the season that Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher both currently hold.
His team-mate Sergio Perez came home to finish fourth with George Russell recovering to fifth after the time penalty for the Lap 1 incident with Sainz.
Elsewhere down the field, Vettel, who won here for Red Bull in 2013, finished eighth.
This was only after a shambolic pitstop dropped him well down the order, where he would’ve finished in the top six.
Lando Norris finished sixth with Alonso doing terrifically to recover his Alpine car up to seventh after that Lap 22 shunt with his future team-mate Stroll.
Kevin Magnussen was passed on the penultimate corner by Vettel to come home in ninth with Yuki Tsunoda picking up his first points since round six in Barcelona, finishing 10th.
F1 travel to Mexico in a weeks’ time, Red Bull’s Pérez the home favourite to take victory.
By Daniel Baverstock
