If you thought the US Grand Prix 2025 was wild, then spoiler alert: this main race recap might give you a heart attack. Because it was one of the most happening races of the 2025 season after the summer break. From the last few races, we had been getting monotonous races, with not much overtaking battles and drama. The only thing that kept us intrigued was McLaren’s pit-stop chaos, which unfortunately, they pulled off at COTA too, but it only added spice to the whole event.
We got to witness the “Mad Max” energy yet again, as we did in the sprint, as he dominated the whole race, starting from pole, and finished one lap ahead of the last few drivers. This is what we call absolute dominance, and this is exactly why we say, Max Verstappen is never out of the title hunt, until it’s mathematically impossible. Meanwhile, we got a beautiful Norris-Leclerc battle for P2 not once, but thrice, which only added to the drama, where Lando Norris ended up taking the position from Leclerc in the final laps. All in all, the race was pure cinema, so, let’s go down to the specifics.
US Grand Prix 2025 Recap
From the very beginning, the atmosphere was electric. Qualifying and the US Grand Prix 2025 Sprint had already set the stage for an incredible race ahead, and boy, did it deliver. As soon as the lights went out, Verstappen went off flying like a beast he is, leaving behind a chaotic turn of events where Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari overtook Lando Norris in a rather smooth manner on the very first lap and turn.
Meanwhile, the actual Smooth Operator of Formula 1, Carlos Sainz, had contact with rookie Kimi Antonelli and had to retire the car afterwards. Now, as Leclerc blazed past Norris, the next few laps were a true test for the Papaya boy as he chased his red and white, and this is where the real game began. During lap 15, we witnessed one of the closest battles for position in the 2025 season, where both Norris and Leclerc drove almost in sync. To some, it might even be more beautiful than Leclerc’s viral sunset lap.
Although Norris couldn’t catch up to the Prancing Horse, he did give it his all and showed that the battle was far from over as he challenged Leclerc again on lap 19 and ended up getting a black and white flag for exceeding track limits. Then the real cinema came on lap 21 as these two were locked in a battle that kept everyone on the edge of their seats, where the Papaya boy finally took P2 from Charles, after which, he went to the pit, putting Lewis Hamilton on 3.
And this was the moment that got every Ferrari fan’s eyes shining with hope. Hope of Hamilton finally being on the podium in red. Is it really happening? Will Lewis Hamilton finally make a comeback? Will he be able to finish on the podium after a drought that stretched an eternity? Only time could tell; until then, Oscar Piastri went to the pit on lap 31, starting another drama.
If you’ve been following F1 religiously, you know that whoever pits second in McLaren ends up spending a lifetime there and loses position. And it was Lando Norris’ time to endure that again. But, here’s the twist. In Singapore, what happened with Piastri and Norris raised eyebrows of many, and not too long ago, both drivers admitted that there will be “repercussions” for Norris till the end of the season for making contact with his team-mate.
Now, just a few days ago, Andrea Stella said that there won’t be any pit stop upgrades for the season, but they have identified the problem and will look into it next season. This means there will be more slow second pit stops for Team Papaya until the end of this one. So, by “repercussions,” did they mean that Lando will be pitting second in each race? Or was it a simple strategic call? Only God and McLaren insiders know, but in the US Grand Prix 2025, Oscar Piastri definitely enjoyed the full advantage of a fast (2.3 seconds) pit stop, leaving the inevitable longer pit stop for Lando Norris, the race leader for McLaren.
On lap 33, the moment of truth arrived as Lando Norris turned his wheels to the pitlane, and mind you, they say that pit stops are supposed to be done and dusted in a blink of an eye, but we blinked, and blinked again, and again, and even took a power nap, but Norris was still in the pits with a crucial 3.8 seconds pit stop, which gave Charles Leclerc P2 back.
Then, during the final laps, when everyone thought the results would be the same for the rest of the race, Lando Norris decided to show everyone that he’s far from over, and we witnessed another legendary Norris-Leclerc battle for P2. And on lap 51, Norris finally took that P2, once and for all, while Max Verstappen crossed the finish line by lapping GabrielBortoleto, Franco Colapinto, and Pierre Gasly.
Charles Leclerc took the driver’s of the day for defending his position so incredibly, although the highlight of the race might have been Lewis Hamilton’s best result with Ferrari so far at P4, as championship leader, Oscar Piastri had to settle for P5. With this result at the US Grand Prix 2025, Max Verstappen closed the gap in the driver’s standings to 40 points, cheering Red Bull and Verstappen fans’ hopes for a fifth WDC. With that being said, let’s take a look at the full results.
US Grand Prix 2025 Full Results
| Pos | Driver | Time/Gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | 1:34:00.161 | 25 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | +7.959s | 18 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | +15.373s | 15 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | +28.536s | 12 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | +29.678s | 10 |
| 6 | George Russell | +33.456s | 8 |
| 7 | Yuki Tsunoda | +52.714s | 6 |
| 8 | Nico Hulkenberg | +57.249s | 4 |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | +64.722s | 2 |
| 10 | Fernando Alonso | +70.001s | 1 |
| 11 | Liam Lawson | +73.209s | 0 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | +74.778s | 0 |
| 13 | Kimi Antonelli | +75.746s | 0 |
| 14 | Alexander Albon | +80.000s | 0 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | +83.043s | 0 |
| 16 | Isack Hadjar | +92.807s | 0 |
| 17 | Franco Colapinto | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | Pierre Gasly | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | Carlos Sainz | DNF | 0 |
So, if you think this race was wild, hold your horses as it’s only going to be better, especially now that Max Verstappen is in his villain era again, and Oscar Piastri is losing the lead. So, stay tuned for more updates, and see you next weekend in Mexico!
Also read: United States Grand Prix Extends Till 2034
