McLaren did not wrap it up in Baku, but they clinched their second consecutive Formula 1 constructors’ championship in Singapore. With that out of the way, it’s all about the drivers’ championship in the final six races of the season.
Up next is the US Grand Prix, which will take place at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The Sprint qualifying just finished a few hours ago, and Max Verstappen is raising eyebrows as he triumphed over both McLaren cars to seal pole position. The Dutchman still has a lot to catch up on, as he is 63 points adrift of Piastri and 41 points adrift of Norris. However, he might believe he’s still in it because he’s in form.
Meanwhile, the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton was downbeat after their lacklustre showing in the Sprint qualifying. This makes you wonder whether they’re already waving the white flag.
Is there trouble brewing in McLaren?
Lando Norris recently admitted that he’ll face “repercussions” for his first-lap incident with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri during the Singapore Grand Prix.
After lining up in fifth on the grid, two places behind Piastri, Norris went on the offencive when the race got underway, and banged wheels with his teammate after Turn 3. Piastri, who didn’t finish in Baku, was clearly angry at Norris for the move. The mistake could hardly have come at a more delicate stage of the season, but Norris has accepted responsibility for violating the “papaya rules.”
Norris chased Verstappen down at P2 during the final stages, but the Dutchman defended well to maintain the position. George Russell won his second race of the season with a commanding performance, and Norris and Piastri had to settle for P3 and P4.
During last night’s Sprint qualifying, Norris topped the timesheets during the sole practice hour before leading the way in SQ1 and SQ2. However, he lost to Verstappen in the final moments of SQ3. On the other hand, teammate Piastri finished third on the grid. Norris said he “was not shocked” with the outcome, but he vowed to be better ahead of Sunday.
Ferrari continue to freefall
Charles Leclerc recently admitted that Ferrari are “so far behind now,” following their subpar outing in the Sprint qualifying, with he and his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, finishing towards the bottom of the Top 10. It has been a rough week for Leclerc, as a mechanical trouble hit him during the sole Austin practice session before ending up in P10 during Sprint qualifying.
Hamilton, who finished eighth in Singapore due to a five-second time penalty post-race, also noted that the SF-25 has been “hard to drive” lately. However, the seven-time world champion remains hopeful that Ferrari can take a step forward in the final six races of the campaign. In other US Grand Prix 2025 news, Hamilton recently announced the passing of his dog, Roscoe, following a battle with pneumonia.
History
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are the winningest active drivers in the US Grand Prix, with the former winning six times (mostly at Mercedes), and the latter notching three wins from 2021 to 2023. Michael Schumacher has the second-most wins in COTA with five, including a four-peat from 2003 to 2006.
Last year, Verstappen took pole position in the Sprint qualifying and won the actual Sprint. However, Charles Leclerc won the actual race, with former Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. finishing second. It was the first one-two finish for the Scuderia since 2006.
What are the odds?
The SBOTOP US Grand Prix 2025 odds expect Max Verstappen to win his second consecutive Sprint this season, which would give him momentum ahead of the actual race. After taking pole position, the Red Bull star is at 1.60 odds to win the Sprint and at 2.50 odds to win on Monday.
Despite their recent struggles, McLaren are expected to do well in COTA, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri pegged at 3.20 and 7.00 in the Sprint and 3.00 and 4.50 on Monday. Being the previous Grand Prix winner, George Russell has the fourth-highest odds of winning the Sprint (26.00) and the actual race (15.00).
Nico Hulkenberg surprised everyone with his P5 finish in the Sprint qualifying, putting him at 29.00 odds to win. However, the Kick Sauber driver is dropped to the seventh-highest odds to win on Monday (34.00). As for Ferrari, winning the Sprint is a long shot, but Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are priced at 21.00 and 26.00 odds on Monday.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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