Following another scorching Formula 1 weekend in the United States, who rode off into the sunset and who needs rounding up?
Max Verstappen: 10
The superlatives are running out to describe Max Verstappen’s current form as another imperious weekend saw the Dutchman’s renewed title bid gather more pace.
The Dutchman perfectly converted pole to victory in both the Sprint and Grand Prix and looked untouchable all weekend.
Verstappen has now taken 64 points out of Oscar Piastri’s championship lead across the last five weekends and now trails 40 points behind with five rounds to go.
Yuki Tsunoda: 7
Despite not making it into the top 10 for either Sprint or Grand Prix Qualifying, Yuki Tsunoda’s race pace would see him score a solid seventh in both races.
Starting 18th for the Sprint, having not made it to the line to start his final lap in Q1, Tsunoda managed to avoid the chaos, despite collecting Nico Hulkenberg’s front wing.
For the Grand Prix, the Japanese driver raced well up the field from 13th on the grid, avoiding a spin for Oliver Bearman’s Haas while battling the Brit to take seventh.
Lando Norris: 8.5
It was clear this weekend that Lando Norris was the quicker McLaren as the Briton gained more crucial ground on team-mate Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship.
Norris was an innocent victim in the Turn 1 chaos in the Sprint as the McLarens made contact for the second weekend in a row, with much greater consequences.
Undeterred, Norris returned to the front row for the Grand Prix, although another subpar getaway saw him lose a place to the Soft tyre-shod Charles Leclerc.
Spending much of the race frustrated behind the slower Ferrari, Norris would eventually break Leclerc’s resolve with a handful of laps remaining to finish second.
Oscar Piastri: 4.5
Ever since his disastrous weekend in Baku, the pressure seems to be finally having an effect on Piastri, as once again he delivered an off-colour weekend.
A brave but in hindsight reckless attempted switchback in the Sprint Race saw both McLarens DNF for the first time since the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Piastri wouldn’t fare much better in the Grand Prix either, unable to make an impression on the cars ahead once he made up one place from sixth on the grid.
Having looked like nothing could faze him during his maiden F1 championship battle, are the wheels starting to come off the Aussie’s wagon at crunch time?
Charles Leclerc: 9
Having propped up the top 10 in Sprint Qualifying, Leclerc needed all his nous to navigate the minefield at Turn 1 in the Sprint to storm up to fourth.
A snap of oversteer in the esses saw him lose out to Lewis Hamilton come the flag to slip to fifth, although he out-qualified his team-mate later on.
Despite a staunch defence, the Monegasque was powerless to hold off Norris’ late charge, but did end a five-race spell without a podium with third.
Lewis Hamilton: 8
Like Leclerc, Hamilton dodged the mess in the Sprint to go from eighth on the grid up to fifth, threading the needle with his team-mate between the carnage.
Hamilton would match his fourth-place Sprint finish in the Grand Prix, too, although the potential to grab that elusive podium in red slipped away once again.
In the race, the Briton spent the opening stint following Leclerc and Norris, but he dropped back when a late puncture scare almost cost him fourth to Piastri.
George Russell: 8
Second in the Sprint was not something George Russell could replicate in the Grand Prix, as the man who dominated in Singapore had to settle for sixth spot in Austin.
The Silver Arrows driver spent much of the Grand Prix behind a slower-than-expected Piastri, although unable to mount a proper challenge on the championship leader.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli: 7
It was an incident-filled weekend on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s debut trip to the Circuit of the Americas.
Just missing out on the top 10, some bold overtakes, especially on Bearman, saw him secure the final point in the Sprint in eighth.
The Italian would be just as bold in the Grand Prix too, but would fall foul of a similar move from Carlos Sainz, who pitched him into a spin.
Nico Hulkenberg: 9
A rollercoaster weekend for Hulkenberg saw him not only qualify in the top 10 for the first time in 2025 but also end his run of pointless races since his podium at Silverstone.
A stunning lap saw him start fourth in the Sprint, although that was short-lived as he would be involved in the mess at Turn 1 as Piastri unexpectedly cut across the front of him.
For the Grand Prix, Hulkenberg would just miss out on another top 10 start but managed to return to form after a run of six races without a point to secure eighth place at the flag.
Gabriel Bortoleto: 5
Gabriel Bortoleto could not match his team-mate on his first trip to Texas.
Starting the Sprint in last having not set a time due to track limits, Bortoleto avoided the shenanigans at the start to finish 11th.
Race day, however, would be a rather drab affair, starting 16th an early pitstop saw the Brazilian fall behind and cross the line in 18th.
Oliver Bearman: 8
Despite starting the Sprint in 16th, Bearman, like Tsunoda, made up a lot of places from the carnage at the start to move into the top eight.
However, the Briton would pick up a rather harsh 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in his duel with Antonelli’s Mercedes.
Back-to-back Q3 appearances saw Bearman start eighth and, although he suffered a spin fighting with Yuki Tsunoda, he would make it back-to-back points finishes too.
Esteban Ocon: 5.5
Esteban Ocon’s poor weekend continued, unable to threaten the points like team-mate Bearman, despite Haas introducing an upgrade package on home soil.
Starting 19th in the Sprint, the Frenchman wouldn’t see the chequered flag after being T-boned by an out-of-control Lance Stroll at Turn 1 late in the encounter.
Just two places higher up on the grid for the Grand Prix, Ocon was one of the few unlucky drivers to use the unwanted Hard tyre, meaning 15th was all he could muster.
Fernando Alonso: 9
Much like Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso’s strong grid position of sixth for the Sprint would fall foul, the Spaniard picking up a puncture and retiring.
But in the Grand Prix, Alonso would convert his 10th place on the grid to the final point at the chequered flag for an eighth points finish in 11 races.
Lance Stroll: 4.5
A catastrophic attempted overtake on Ocon in the Sprint saw Stroll pick up a five-place grid penalty for the Grand Prix.
Stroll would recover well on race day to 12th at the chequered flag, benefitting from what turned out to be the optimal strategy starting on Softs.
Liam Lawson: 6.5
Liam Lawson frustratingly just missed out on points in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix with a ninth and 11th place finish, respectively, for the Kiwi.
Isack Hadjar: 5
Unlike team-mate Lawson, Isack Hadjar never really threatened a points finish at COTA.
Converting his 12th place start at the flag in the Sprint, a crash in Q1 for the Grand Prix saw the Frenchman not set a time and qualify last.
Starting on the back foot, Hadjar couldn’t recover the lost ground, finishing 16th.
Alex Albon: 7
Alex Albon was unable to repeat his points finish of sixth in the Sprint Race on Grand Prix Sunday after being knocked out in Q1, losing his best lap time to track limits.
A spin on the opening lap at Turn 12 after hitting the rear tyre of Bortoleto’s Sauber compounded his woes on the unfavoured Hard tyre with 14th at the chequered flag.
Carlos Sainz: 6
Surviving the melee of Turn 1 allowed Sainz to take third for Williams in the Sprint Race, holding off his former sideFerrari in the process, much to his surprise.
But the Grand Prix would not be so fruitful for Sainz as a collision with Antonelli’s Mercedes at Turn 15 on Lap 7 put the Spaniard out of the race with damage.
Franco Colapinto: 6
Another lowly weekend outside the points, but Franco Colapinto did nothing to dent his hopes of securing his Alpine future for 2026, despite ignoring a team order.
Pierre Gasly: 6
Despite picking up a top 10 finish in the Sprint Race, it was another pointless weekend for Pierre Gasly, with the Frenchman propping up the finishing order once again in 19th.
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