F1 standings: Verstappen cruises to victory, Piastri struggles

Max Verstappen powered to a commanding victory at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, slicing into Oscar Piastri’s lead in the F1 standings. Leading every lap at the Circuit of the Americas, Verstappen’s win has tightened the championship battle, cutting the gap to just 40 points with five races left in the season.

Starting from pole, Verstappen enjoyed a near-flawless weekend in Austin. His triumph in the main race came just a day after he also took top honors in Saturday’s sprint – a perfect points haul that significantly boosts his hopes of a fifth world title.

Meanwhile, Piastri endured a difficult weekend. After crashing out in the sprint, the McLaren driver managed only a fifth-place finish in the Grand Prix, just over a second behind Lewis Hamilton. Piastri now holds a 14-point advantage over teammate Lando Norris in the standings, but his once-sizable lead over Verstappen has rapidly diminished – down from 104 points at the end of August to just 40 now.

“There’s definitely still a chance,” Verstappen said of the championship fight. “If we keep performing like this, anything is possible. We’re going to give it everything.”

Despite the pressure, Piastri remains confident. “I’d still rather be leading than chasing,” said the 24-year-old Australian, who is aiming to become his country’s first world champion since Alan Jones in 1980.

Norris, who finished second, battled hard with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc throughout the race. After losing out to the Monegasque early on, Norris regained the position and later pulled away to secure the runner-up spot, crossing the line nearly eight seconds behind Verstappen and well ahead of Leclerc, who came in third.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton claimed fourth, while George Russell followed Piastri home in sixth. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda took seventh, with Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), Oliver Bearman (Haas), and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) rounding out the top 10.

A virtual safety car was triggered on lap seven following a collision between rookie Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Carlos Sainz (Williams), forcing the Spaniard to retire. Sainz was later handed a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Mexico, as well as two penalty points on his license.

Temperatures in Austin were milder than expected on race day, although the event was still declared a heat risk weekend due to earlier highs. McLaren, despite their driver struggles, has already secured the constructors’ title for 2025.

With five races and two sprint sessions still to come, the title battle is heating up – and Verstappen is far from out of the picture.