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AUSTIN: Max Verstappen fought back from a disastrous pit stop as his Red Bull team won the F1 constructors’ title, a day after the death of billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz, held in Austin today. won the United States Grand Prix.
Mercedes won the title with three races to go, although seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton took his first victory of the year, finishing second at the Circuit of the Americas.
“That was for Dietrich,” Verstappen said after taking the checkered flag.
The title was Red Bull’s first since 2013, when they achieved a fourth consecutive double title with Germany’s Sebastian Vettel at the end of the sport’s V8 era.
Ferrari needed to score 19 more points than Red Bull at the Texas track, but Charles Leclerc was the Italian team’s lone finisher, moving from 12th on the grid to 3rd.
Teammate Carlos Sainz, who started from pole position, retired with a damaged car after a first-lap collision with Mercedes’ George Russell.
Red Bull now have an unbeatable 656 points to Ferrari’s 469 points.
Verstappen’s victory was his 13th of the season, equaling the F1 record jointly held by Ferrari greats Michael Schumacher and Vettel, and the 33rd of his career, as well as his second straight win in Texas.
The 25-year-old Dutchman won his second title in Japan two weeks ago.
“Max Verstappen, you are world champions. We are world champions. Thank you very much,” team principal Christian Horner told him on team radio after Red Bull’s eighth straight win and 15th place in 19 races.
“And Dietrich Mateschitz, thank you for everything you’ve done for us, for this team. These championships are for you,” he added.
painfully long pit stop
Verstappen took the lead at the first corner and was in control when he made his second pit stop on lap 36 of a scheduled 56 laps to change from the hard to medium tyres.
The stop was a painful 11.1 seconds, as the nut on the left front wheel wouldn’t tighten and the mechanics scrambled for another wheel gun.
He returned to the track in sixth, jumping to Leclerc, who also pitted, effectively taking the lead in fourth as the three ahead of Hamilton had not yet pitted.
“Beautiful,” Max Verstappen said sarcastically over the radio.
He determined to close the gap.
He triumphantly passed Leclerc, crossing the line six laps from the finish and 5.023 seconds clear of Hamilton to re-enter the lead.
“It was tough. said the champion.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was fourth, with Russell scoring bonus points for the fastest lap. McLaren was his fifth and Lando Norris his sixth.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was seventh in the Renault-owned Alpine despite a second safety car after a collision with Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll.
The first was when Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas crashed into the gravel on lap 18.
Vettel was eighth in his Aston Martin, but briefly led the race and after suffering a lengthy pit stop, Kevin Magnussen finished ninth in Haas and Yuki Tsunoda scored the final points in his Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri.
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