Four talking points from a dramatic US GP

Red Bull mourns Mateschitz

The loss of the energy drinks brand founder, from illness at 78, inevitably took some of the heat out of Red Bull’s budget cap breach controversy which had dominated the opening part of the US GP weekend. Not many outside of the team ever got to know the famously publicity-shy Mateschitz, but few individuals have wielded as much influence over motorsport in the past 20-plus years. Red Bull was understandably cast in a sombre shadow once news broke of the boss’s passing on Saturday.

Verstappen was well placed to pay his tribute to the man to whom he admitted he owes so much and claim his 13^th victory of the season, equal to the tally racked up by Michael Schumacher in 2004 and Sebastian Vettel in 2013. But Hamilton kept him in sight, aided by a couple of safety car interruptions. Then Red Bull appeared to hand Mercedes-AMG its first victory in this season of struggle for the Silver Arrows when a sticky left-front wheel delayed Verstappen at his stop. He sniped at the team on the radio, which was all too predictable, but the straight-line speed advantage of his Red Bull proved too much for Hamilton to defend all the way to the flag. Six laps from home Verstappen made his move and although his rival fought back there was only going to be one outcome. Thus the two-time champ and his team completed a deserved championship double for the season.

Alonso’s amazing comeback

The other big talking point from the Austin race was the frightening collision between Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, then how the Alpine ace somehow stormed back to finish an astonishing seventh. Alonso just doesn’t know when he’s beaten.

Stroll copped a grid penalty for the Mexican GP next weekend after his twitch left as Alonso loomed in his mirrors. That iffy piece of driving led to the blue car smashing into the rear of the green Aston Martin. The Alpine’s nose lifted and for a moment the car looked set to fly, before it clattered the barrier, while the heavily damaged Aston was left stranded in the middle of the back straight. How Mick Schumacher, Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris contrived to miss it was one of those startling breaks of good fortune that racers call on from time to time. This one was nasty but it could have been a whole lot worse.

Alonso pitted for a new nose, then returned to the track. But surely his car wouldn’t last – would it? It would. Not only that, Alonso rose back up the order to finish well inside the points, in seventh and ahead of team-mate Esteban Ocon who was down in 11^th. Among the many amazing Alonso performances, he’s logged over the years, this one will rank high. He would lose those points, however, following a protest from Haas. It was deemed the stricken Alpine was released from the pits in an unsafe state, and Alonso was hit with a 30-second time penalty that dropped him top 15^th. A great shame, but he might want to have a word with the man who will be his team-mate next year.

Sainz out of luck as Leclerc scores podium

Carlos Sainz Jr. can’t seem to catch much of a break in 2022. Frustrated at how he appears to have played second fiddle at Ferrari this year, he scored an excellent pole position on Saturday only to be pitched out of the race at Turn One by George Russell who earned a penalty for his efforts. That left Charles Leclerc to defend Ferrari honour, which he did brilliantly from 12^th on the grid to finish third. But the early-season points leader was very much in a supporting role in the Austin melodrama, as film star Brad Pitt took notes for his forthcoming F1 movie, on a weekend that showed Mercedes is finally making progress in its fight to return to form.

Points for Haas at home

Sergio Perez recovered from first-lap wing damage to claim fourth and make his own contribution to Red Bull’s title success, with Russell fifth and an excellent Norris sixth ahead of Alonso. Vettel continued his run of decent form as the races count down towards his retirement as he finished eighth, passing Kevin Magnussen on the last lap. But for the locals there was still plenty to cheer because Magnussen’s lost position didn’t cost him too dearly. By finishing ninth, he at least scored points for American-owned Haas at its home race, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in 10^th.

Mick Schumacher ran in the points earlier on and really could have done with staying there until the end, as he faces a battle to keep his drive for next year. Nico Hulkenberg is under consideration and it’s all too clear Schumacher needs to produce something big to show he’s worth persevering with over the much more experienced German. This wasn’t enough.