Although the F1 Drivers title was confirmed after Japan, the teams were still out to score the most points in the remaining 4 races. So the mood on the starting grid at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) was just as tense, especially for the Red Bull and Ferrari drivers who were separated by just a point. And for Mercedes-AMG, there was nothing to lose in pushing hard now…

As the lights went out to start the US Grand Prix, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz got off cleanly from his pole position but Red Bull’s Max Verstappen next to him had just as strong a take-off and was the first to reach Turn 1. Just behind, the two Mercedes-AMG cars were also closing in on the corner and George Russell locked up, coming in contact with Sainz who went into a spin.

The incident cost Russell a 5-second penalty but for Sainz, it was worse… although the damage to his car didn’t look bad, he had to retire after heading into the pits when it was found that the radiator was leaking. A big disappointment after getting to start from pole position. His team mate, Charles Leclerc was still too far back, having had a 19-place penalty on the starting grid.