As it happened: 2024 United States Grand Prix

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The 2024 United States Grand Prix is coming up next.

We are 50 minutes away from the start of the formation lap.

Here’s a reminder of how they line up. George Russell’s penalty has promoted Pierre Gasly to sixth on the grid which is Alpine’s best starting position for a grand prix so far this year

The drivers are leaving the pits to perform their reconnaissance laps.

Norris: “All good. A bit nervous into turn 19 on this lap, you should be able to see that.”

With two stop strategies looking feasible, we may see some drivers opt to start on the soft tyres. The soft compound is worth 3.49 metres compared to the medium on acceleration up to 150kph so potentially useful for the run to turn one.

Hamilton says his car’s steering wheel is “slightly right-hand down today”.

Bozzi: “Copy.”
Leclerc: “That was a mistake this time.”
Bozzi: “That was good everywhere except turn 11, losing a tenth.”

As expected, the temperatures have risen to the highest seen so far this weekend. Track temperature is now 46C, which may dissuade anyone from trying the softs.

All drivers are starting on the medium tyre compound except Stroll, Colapinto, Hamilton, Russell and Lawson who are on hards.

Hamilton: “Damn this is far back.”

The grid is cleared and the drivers are heading off on their formation lap.

The 2024 United States Grand prix is go! Lando Norris gets away well but fails to close the door on Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc takes the lead!

L2 Leclerc leads Verstappen, Sainz, Norris and Piastri.

Hamitlon has spun out! He’s in the gravel at turn 19. Looks like he lost the car slightly earlier in the corner than Russell did yesterday.

Safety Car deployed. Hamilton is the first driver out. Sainz was poised to attack Verstappen at turn 12.

FOM did not play anything from Hamilton after his crash on F1 TV but they do broadcast him saying “sorry guys” on the world feed.

Norris: “He clearly pushed me out. He had no intent to make the corner.” He adds it’s the “same as Budapest,” where Red Bull told Verstappen to let Norris by to avoid an investigation and potential penalty.

Safety Car coming in this lap.

L6 Leclerc restarts, Verstappen saw it coming and was tucked up nicely behind him at turn 20.

Terrible restart for Stroll who would be last now if he hadn’t stayed ahead of Albon by going off at turn 15.

L7 Hulkenberg passes Alonso for 10th at turn 12. Lawson is up to 12th behind them having started at the back and is now the highest-placed hard tyre runner.

L9 Leclerc has puled 2.3s clear of Verstappen, Sainz is complaining he has “no power at the exits of the corners” and adds “it smells like fuel.” The stewards have noted Stroll for potentially gaining an advantage off the track at turn 15.

Sainz: “It smells a lot like fuel in the car, guys.”

L10 Zhou spins at turn one then gets going away. The stewards have allowed Stroll to keep his position over Albon.

L11 Sainz has made a settings change and his team say it should be better now. Leclerc is now four seconds clear of Verstappen.

L12 Lawson and Alonso are now facing each other on the track again – and the RB driver is through! He dives down the inside of the Aston Martin at turn 12. Alonso kicks up the dust at turn 14 as he tries to get back on terms with him.

Leclerc: “Yeah I want probably plan B or plan C.”
L14 Bozzi: “If you keep this gap to Verstappen we are happy with plan A. Our baseline is plan B.”

Lambiase to Verstappen: “Max, heads up. Found a bit of an issue with the car this stint but we will sort it out at the stop. Just hang in there as best you can.”

Russell has been given a five-second time penalty for forcing Bottas off the track at turn 12.

Russell is told about his penalty and replies with an astonished: “What?” Wolff comes on the radio: “Total joke, George, with the penalty. Total joke.”

Stroll has now been off the track four times, which will be a penalty unless the stewards deem he was forced off for any of them.

L18 Magnussen pits so we could see some of the leading drivers in soon.

Verstappen: “Front tyres are too hot.”

L22 Ferrari are first to blink among the front runners, bringing Sainz in for a set of hard tyres. He just makes it out ahead of Sergio Perez who is sixth.

L23 Alonso’s tough afternoon gets worse as Colapinto dives past him at turn 12.

McLaren tell Norris his degradation looks good. He tells them he’s “pace zero” at the moment.

Leclerc: “Don’t leave me out for too long, I don’t want to be under pressure.”

L24 Norris is making a bid to cut Verstappen’s advantage, he’s taken a second out of his rival over the last two laps, bringing the gap down to three seconds.

L26 Verstappen complained his left tyres were starting to give up. He comes in. Whatever problem Red Bull were going to look into, he’s only stationary for 2.7 seconds.

L27 Leclerc pits so the McLaren, yet to pit, now lead. Alonso and Albon scrap brilliantly side-by-side through turns 16 to 18, but Gasly may not appreciate it as he’s losing a huge amount of time behind them.

L29 Norris has 4.7s in hand over Piastri, who will have Leclerc on his tail soon. Bozzi to Leclerc: “Piastri has been told over the radio to not fight hard with you.”

L30 Joseph to Norris: “This is likely the Germany situation but we don’t want to pull the trigger too soon if we don’t have to. Every lap is tyre delta.”

L31 Sure enough, Piastri doesn’t even make a token effort to keep Leclerc behind him at turn 12. Norris pits from the lead and the Ferrari is ahead again.

L33 Piastri pits, leaving just Russell, Lawson and Colapinto yet to come in. Leclerc now leads Sainz by 7.4s, Verstappen 3.7s behind him. Norris came out of the pits six seconds behind Verstappen with sixc-lap fresher tyres.

L35 Norris sets the fastest lap and takes a second out of Verstappen, bringing the gap between them down to 5.3s.

Verstappen: “These tyres just aren’t good. I can’t brake. I can’t attack anything.” He’s faster than Norris in the first sector but the McLaren driver is taking it and more back around the rest of the lap. Now 3.8s between them.

L37 Lawson pits and comes out ahead of Tsunoda, and with a fresh set of medium compound tyres on his car might have a chance of catching the Haas drivers to fight for a point.

Magnussen has made an unexpected pit stop but resumed. That puts Lawson into the points!

Norris was told to save his tyres. He only took two-tenths of a second out of Verstappen on the previous lap.

L42 It gets worse for Tsunoda who spins at turn one. He gets going however. Norris is now 1.5s behind Verstappen.

L45 Norris is almost within striking range of Verstappen with 11 laps to go.

L47 A small mistake by Verstappen at turn one and Norris is even closer to him now, but can’t do anything about it in the first sector.

Norris probes Verstappen’s defences from turn 12 to turn 16 but can’t find a way by.

L49 Norris closes on Verstappen again at turn one and the Red Bull driver makes a huge late move to cover the inside line.

L52 Norris gets closer to Verstappen than ever coming out of turn 11 but once again the Red Bull driver narrowly manages to cling on.

L53 Norris gets even closer to Verstappen, passed him on the outside of turn 12 but went fully off the track doing so. Verstappen: “Overtook me outside the track.”

Joseph: “We think you were ahead at mistake.”
Norris: “I think I was ahead at the apex. Let me know if you think otherwise.”

The stewards are investigating Norris’ pass on Verstappen.

Lambiase to Verstappen: “The stewards are looking at it, Max.”

Norris may be on four track limits violations, meaning a five-second time penalty, depending on whether the stewards rule he was forced off in any of the occasions he went off.

Meanwhile it’s the final lap and it’s been a crushing, if largely unseen, one-two for Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc wins the United States Grand Prix! Norris has been given a five-second time penalty, which will almost certainly drop him behind Verstappen.

That concludes our coverage of the United States Grand Prix – we’ve got plenty to sort out after that one. Here’s our race report, more coming up very soon.

2024 United States Grand Prix

• McLaren insist stewards made ‘provable error’ after losing bid for review of Norris’ penalty
• Why McLaren’s focus on Verstappen’s driving failed to overturn Norris’ penalty
• Stewards reject McLaren’s request to review Norris’ United States GP penalty
• McLaren know Norris’ penalty is likely to stand – so what do they hope to gain?
• McLaren request review of Norris’ penalty for off-track pass on Verstappen