Austin (AFP) – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed victory at the Circuit of the Americas, while Max Verstappen and Red Bull demonstrated they have recovered some form after a mid-season dip but still have much to do to retain their titles. The three-time champion’s battling third-place finish behind Leclerc and Carlos Sainz may have extended his lead in the title race to 57 points – but amid continuing rumours about “tricky” car components and a resurgent ‘prancing horse’, both championship battles remain wide open.
AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday’s dramatic action at the Circuit of the Americas:
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**Verstappen regains some form**
Series leader Verstappen’s relative return to form – by winning Saturday’s sprint race and finishing on the podium in Sunday’s Grand Prix – showed he and Red Bull have shaken off their mid-season blues. But they need to rediscover their winning habit of old to prove they can resist their rivals, led by Lando Norris and McLaren, to retain one or both of their championship titles.
After nine Grands Prix without a win dating back to the Spanish Grand Prix in June, Verstappen showed he retains his competitive instincts – some might add that at times he stretched the rules with his defensive work and needed a compliant stewards’ decision to succeed – by finishing third. But to prove he retains the ascendancy, victories are needed as Red Bull fend off continuing talk of trickery as relations with McLaren threaten to turn sour, team boss Zak Brown continuing to air suspicions of possible alleged cheating.
Brown told reporters on Sunday he would accept Red Bull’s claim that they have not used a hybrid ride-height control device fitted into the footwell of their cars only if senior staff signed a sworn statement. “I’d like to see the senior leadership, the former chief mechanics and the current mechanics sign an affidavit stating that they have never used or have no knowledge of it being used,” he told the Daily Mail.
Brown was reacting to the FIA’s statement their investigation into possible cheating was closed as they believed there was no way of discovering if the controversial device had ever been used. His standpoint may only be part of the technical, political and sporting battle between the teams as they enter the championship run-in, but added to claims of inconsistent decisions by the stewards – who favoured Verstappen on Sunday by penalising Norris five seconds for running off track when forced to do so – it cranks up the pressure.
**Wolff piles in on stewards and Red Bull**
Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff joined Brown in piling in on the stewards’ decisions and described the FIA’s role in the Red Bull “trickery” row as “outrageous” – throwing a smoke screen over his team’s upgrades’ flop in Austin. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton blamed the extensive package of new parts for his car’s capricious behaviour, resulting in an early exit, while George Russell started from the pit-lane before finishing sixth.
Both grumbled about their cars’ handling – and Wolff admitted to “issues” before joining the Red Bull debate and asking why the Milton Keynes-based outfit needed their rogue ride height device on the car. “My view from the distance of what I’ve seen and heard is that it’s outrageous,” he said. “I wonder how long it took them to make this and to stick it in there? And I didn’t know that in F1 we were using such devices.
“It’s not good enough to say ‘you know, that’s it. Promise I’m not going to do it again…’ Why would you design such a thing, and put two marks on it for two positions? Is that the precise decision-making in F1?” The FIA’s Nikolas Tombazis made clear the matter was closed and Red Bull would not be sanctioned, but as tensions rise it remains likely the verbal war will continue in Mexico next weekend.
**Lawson emerges as contender to replace Perez**
New Zealander Liam Lawson emerged from his comeback race as Red Bull’s replacement for Daniel Ricciardo as a genuine contender to succeed the struggling Sergio Perez at Red Bull. Starting 19th after inheriting an engine change penalty, 22-year-old Lawson came home ninth, just 10 seconds adrift of Perez who finished seventh.
“A really great debut,” said Red Bull’s influential 81-year-old consultant Helmut Marko. “Great passing moves and control at all times.”
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