F1 United States Grand Prix 2022 result: Highlights and analysis as Verstappen takes record-equalling victory in Austin

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Max Verstappen recorded his 13th victory of the season as a dramatic race at the 2022 United States Grand Prix delivered the action towards the end.

A slow pit stop with 20 laps to go in the race had seen Verstappen fall down to P5 on the track but the Dutchman flew back up the order to claim a record-equalling victory in Austin.

With just six laps to go, the Red Bull driver overtook Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to retake the lead of the race, a move that topped off the perfect weekend for his team who claimed their first constructors title in nine long years. 

That victory also means that Verstappen now holds the record of most wins recorded in a single F1 season alongside Michael Schumacher in 2004 and Sebastian Vettel in 2013. 

The start of the race had seen pole sitter Carlos Sainz hit by Mercedes’ George Russell at the first corner which resulted in the Ferrari driver having to retire from the race.

That led to Verstappen assuming the lead of the race and despite that slow pitstop midway through, the Dutchman came home to take the chequered flag in Austin.

Hamilton and Leclerc joined him on the podium whilst Perez, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Kevin Magnussen and Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the points paying positions on the grid. 

MORE: Which driver has recorded the most wins in an F1 season? A list of the top ten greatest ever campaigns by drivers

F1 2022 United States Grand Prix results

Position Driver Team Points
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 25
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 18
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 15
4 Sergio Perez Red Bull 12
5 George Russell Mercedes 10
6 Lando Norris McLaren 9
7 Fernando Alonso Alpine 6
8 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 4
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas 2
10 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1
11 Esteban Ocon Alpine  
12 Alex Albon Williams  
13 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo  
14 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri  
15 Mick Schumacher Haas  
16 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren  
17 Nicholas Latifi Williams  
DNF Lance Stroll Aston Martin  
DNF Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo  
DNF Carlos Sainz Ferrari  

Despair for pole sitter Sainz in Austin

After claiming just the third pole position of his career on Saturday ahead of the 2022 United States Grand Prix, it looked like it would be a weekend to remember for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz but how wrong that turned out to be. 

A slow start saw the Spaniard fall behind Verstappen heading into the first corner of the race and as he attempted a cut back manoeuvre on the championship leader, a clumsy George Russell hammered into the side of him.

That collision left his car with damage to the radiator which proved fatal just a lap later when he was called in by his mechanics to top off a truly miserable day. 

Hamilton close to his first win of the season

Whilst it’s been a tough season for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton was ever so close to claiming his and his teams first win of the season in Texas. 

Verstappen’s slow pit stop midway through the race had eventually seen the British driver move into the lead around the Circuit of the Americas but when the Dutchman eventually got past Leclerc to move up into P2, it simply seemed inevitable that he would close the gap to the front. 

The drama came with just six laps remaining as Verstappen slid down the inside of Hamilton after the long back straight and even though the British driver kept the fight going for several corners, the Red Bull proved too tough to beat. 

F1 United States Grand Prix 2022 live updates, highlights from Austin: As it happened.

CHEQUERED FLAG: Verstappen wins the 2022 United States Grand Prix!!! The Dutchman holds off Hamilton to claim his 13th victory of the season, a joint-record for the most in a single F1 season alongside Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. A fantastic race in Austin also ends in a constructors title for Red Bull! 

Lap 54: Verstappen finally breaks the one second gap to Hamilton at the front and that could be it for the British driver in his quest to win this race. 

Lap 52: Black and white flag for Verstappen, going wide once more will mean a five-second penalty for the race leader. The pressure continues to build with Hamilton still in his DRS zone. 

Lap 50: Verstappen leads the United States Grand Prix!!! The Dutchman closes down the back straight and dives into the apex. The pair fight for a good few corners but the championship leader wins the battle. Amazing racing from the pair. 

Lap 49: Alonso is now up to P6 despite nearly suffering a horrible collision halfway through the day as he collided with Stroll. What a comeback.

Lap 47: This is going to go down to the wire! With nine laps left of this race, Verstappen has closed the gap to Hamilton down to 1.6 seconds. This could be an entertaining finish!  

Lap 45: Down the pack, Norris is up to P8 after making four overtakes in the past three laps. Another stunning performance from the young British driver. 

Lap 44: Verstappen is closing the gap to Hamilton at the front with Leclerc in tow. The Dutchman gained six tenths in that last lap alone and he now sits just 2.3 seconds off the pace. 

Lap 42: Vettel comes into the pits but there’s a problem and it takes his team 16.8 seconds to change his tyres. He’s slipped from P2 in this race to P13 all of a sudden. What a disaster for Aston Martin! 

Lap 41: Hamilton sneaks past Vettel at corner one and he now leads the United Stats Grand Prix!!! 

Verstappen and Leclerc are closing the gap behind. 

Lap 39: The gloves are off here in Austin! Verstappen dives down the inside of Leclerc at corner one but the Ferrari man bites back with the old switcheroo. Just half a lap later though as Verstappen finally gets past his rival and up into P3. Thrilling racing all round! 

Lap 38: So it’s Perez who leads in Austin from Vettel but it’s Hamilton who effectively leads this race as both drivers in front are still yet to pit. 

Lap 36: It’s a calamity in the pits for Verstappen and Perez now leads the United States Grand Prix! Leclerc emerges from the pit lane in P2 as well ahead of the Dutchman. Now we have a race on our hands. 

Lap 35: Hamilton pits and he’ll be looking for the undercut to take the lead of this Grand Prix from Verstappen. An interesting period of this race beckons. 

Lap 34: Hamilton is keeping Verstappen honest out front in this race. The Dutchman has only managed to build a 1.5 second lead since the last safety car but he could be managing his tyres during this stint. 

Lap 30: The Ferrari man gets the job done just one lap later. He flies down the back straight and squeezes past Perez on the inside of the corner. Phenomenal driving! 

Gasly gets a five-second penalty behind after falling too far behind the previous safety car. The Frenchman is currently in P7 so that could be a huge blow in his quest for a points finish this afternoon in Austin. 

Lap 28: Leclerc makes a late dive on Perez but he runs wide and gives the position back to the Mexican driver so the stewards don’t have to get involved. That battle for P3 is intensifying! 

Lap 26: The safety car is again into the pit lane and we’re back racing in Austin. 

It’s the same as before as Verstappen gets away cleanly from Hamilton, Perez, Leclerc and Russell. 

Lap 24: Stroll’s car is in pieces on the track but the Canadian driver is out and looks fine. Replays show that Alonso flew up into the air after the coming together but somehow continues in this race. The Spaniard was so close to suffering a huge impact with the barrier there. 

Lap 23: There’s a huge crash as Alonso and Stroll collide. Wow that was a big collision and as such, the safety car is back out on track. 

Lap 22: The safety car is in and we’re back racing in Austin!

Verstappen gets away cleanly and still leads from Hamilton, Perez and Leclerc. Russell is under pressure from the Aston Martin pair. 

Lap 20: The safety car is out as Bottas spins off the track after losing his back end. Big moment for Leclerc who gets a cheap first pitstop and comes back onto the track in P4, what a treat for the Italian team!

Lap 18: Another difficult day on the cards for Ricciardo who currently sits down in P18.

The Australian has struggled massively this season and today isn’t looking any different. 

Lap 15: Verstappen and Hamilton trade pitstops as the Dutchman comes back out onto the track in P2 behind teammate Perez. Just behind, Leclerc jumps Stroll into P3 but the Ferrari man is still yet to pit in this race. 

Lap 13: Verstappen has already built a lead of 5.2 seconds to Hamilton in P2. The Dutchman is absolutely flying out there yet again, though he has said that he’s struggling a bit with the heavy winds around the track today. 

Lap 11: Plenty of cars heading into the pits for their first stop of the race. Bottas, Ricciardo and Albon are all in looking for the valuable undercut on the midfield pack. 

Lap 8: Further down the order and Leclerc is up to P7 after starting this race in P12. A great drive so far from the Ferrari man!

Gasly, Norris and Bottas are currently locked in a fantastic battle for P8 just behind. 

Lap 6: So it’s Verstappen from Hamilton, Russell and Perez as Stroll drops back a few spots in his Aston Martin. 

Elsewhere, Latifi takes a spin and finds himself at the back of the pack. 

Lap 3: It’s a five-second penalty for Russell and you’ve got to say that that feels like light punishment for the British driver to an extent. Ferrari fans will not be happy!

Lap 2: Sainz is out!! Replays show that Russell clattered into the side of the Spaniard’s Ferrari   and it’s all over for the pole sitter. Verstappen leads from Hamilton and Stroll. 

LIGHTS OUT: We’re underway here at the Circuit of the Americas and it’s Verstappen who leads the way!!!! It’s calamity for Sainz who spins at the first corner and is now plump last with a puncture as well. Dramatic start in Austin. 

2 mins to lights out: We’re off for the formation lap ahead of the 2022 United States Grand Prix! 

Late drama for Lewis Hamilton as his team battled to change the whole left brake disc on his car after he complained of problems on his way to the grid. He’s made it just in time thankfully.

15 minutes to lights out: The drivers are heading to the front of the grid for the national anthem. Not long left now until we go racing at the United States Grand Prix where the stars are out in force in the crowd. 

30 minutes to lights out: Max Verstappen took his second consecutive world championship crown in Suzuka last time out and on top of that, his Red Bull team could claim their first constructor’s title in nine very long seasons today. 

Rival team Ferrari need to outscore them by 19 points to keep the battle going for another week but if either Verstappen or teammate Perez win this afternoon, then Red Bull will have done enough to take the crown in Austin! 

45 minutes to lights out: After several drivers took penalties yesterday before qualifying, there’s a few more to note that occurred overnight.

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon will start today’s race from the pitlane as a result, whilst AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda starts from the back of the grid after changing his gearbox.  

1 hour until lights out: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

United States Grand Prix 2022 starting grid

Position Driver
1 Carlos Sainz
2 Max Verstappen
3 Lewis Hamilton
4 George Russell
5 Lance Stroll
6 Lando Norris
7 Valterri Bottas
8 Alex Albon
9 Sergio Perez*
10 Sebastian Vettel
11 Pierre Gasly
12 Charles Leclerc*
13 Yuki Tsunoda
14 Fernando Alonso*
15 Kevin Magnussen
16 Daniel Ricciardo
17 Esteban Ocon
18 Mick Schumacher
19 Zhou Guanyu*
20 Nicholas Latifi

* denotes grid-place penalty. 

How to watch F1 in the United States

  • Race: United States Grand Prix
  • Date: Sunday, Oct 23.
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Live stream: fuboTV

The ESPN family of networks will broadcast all 2022 F1 races in the United States using Sky Sports’ feed, with select races airing on ABC. You can also stream Formula 1 races live in the U.S. with fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

ESPN Deportes serves as the exclusive Spanish-language home for all 2022 F1 races in the U.S.

How to watch Formula 1 in Canada

  • TV channel: TSN (English); RDS (French)
  • Live stream: TSN Direct

For fans in Canada, TSN will carry the English-language telecast of races. For those looking for the French-language broadcast, RDS will have you covered.

Races can also be streamed via TSN’s streaming service, TSN Direct.

How to watch Formula 1 in the UK

  • TV channel: Sky Sports F1
  • Live stream: Sky Go / NOW TV

Viewers in the United Kingdom can catch all F1 action on Sky Sports F1, the dedicated F1 channel. For viewers planning to live stream F1 in 2022, Sky subscribers can view on the Sky Go app or you can purchase a Sky Sports Pass on NOW TV.

How to watch Formula 1 in Australia

  • TV channel: Fox Sports; Channel 10
  • Live stream: Kayo

Fox Sports will carry all races in Australia, with Channel 10 broadcasting the United States Grand Prix. Fans can also live stream on subscription service. Kayo

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