2025 F1 Austin GP report: Charles Leclerc gives it his all to secure podium finish for Ferrari

The nineteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship has come to an end. Let’s look back at all the key moments from the United States Grand Prix in Austin and see how the final results unfolded. The race began at 21:00 (Central European Time), with Charles Leclerc and Ferrari opting for an aggressive strategy by starting on soft tyres instead of the medium compound chosen by most of the grid.

Race start

Charles Leclerc made a superb getaway, immediately overtaking Lando Norris to take second place behind Max Verstappen. There was a fierce first-lap battle between George Russell and Oscar Piastri, while Lewis Hamilton also made progress, moving up to fourth position. Out in front, Max Verstappen set the early pace, quickly building a gap and keeping Leclerc outside of DRS range. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz was also aggressive, climbing up to eighth place.

After losing second place, Lando Norris began to chase the Ferrari but found himself stuck behind the SF-25. There was also a DRS train forming in the midfield. On lap 7, a collision between Carlos Sainz Jr. and Andrea Kimi Antonelli triggered the first Virtual Safety Car of the race. The incident forced the Spanish driver to retire, while the young Mercedes driver was able to continue from eighteenth place.

The race resumed on lap 9. Norris briefly lost DRS to Leclerc, while Lewis Hamilton stayed within a second of the McLaren. From lap 13, Leclerc began to struggle on his soft tyres, allowing Norris to close back in. The Monegasque defended bravely under pressure, keeping Norris behind for several laps despite DRS. Eventually, on lap 21, Norris managed to make the overtake. Leclerc was soon attacked by Hamilton as well, losing another position before Ferrari called him in for a tyre change. The team switched him from softs to mediums, rejoining behind Nico Hülkenberg.

Mid-race

Andrea Kimi Antonelli started to rebuild his race, trying to get back into the points. Oscar Piastri, under threat from George Russell, opted to pit early for a new set of soft tyres. After completing his own stop, Lando Norris rejoined the track behind Charles Leclerc, reigniting their battle.

There was a close call on lap 35 between Yuki Tsunoda and Oliver Bearman, as the two came within inches of contact. Several drivers were also shown black-and-white flags for track limits violations, including Norris, Albon, and Antonelli.

Lando Norris made multiple attempts to pass Leclerc using the advantage of his fresher soft tyres, but the Ferrari driver defended brilliantly until lap 51, when Norris finally completed the move.

Final stages

Out front, Max Verstappen maintained full control of the race and crossed the finish line to take another dominant win, further closing the gap to Oscar Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship. It was a strong and emotional performance from Charles Leclerc, who gave everything for Ferrari on a track that demanded precision and consistency.