'Sprint weekend robbed Hamilton of podium' - US Grand Prix hot takes

Sam Cook
Monday 23 October 2023 14:27 - Updated: 16:16

Max Verstappen claimed his 15th race victory of the season, and his 50th career win, by coming from sixth on the grid to win the United States Grand Prix.

The Dutchman nursed braking issues and a very fast Lewis Hamilton to take victory by just over two seconds.

Except...that wasn't quite the case, it turned out. When scrutineers examined Hamilton's Mercedes, they judged his skid blocks to be too worn down – and disqualified him from the final result.

The same happened to Charles Leclerc, robbing valuable points from Ferrari in their battle with the Silver Arrows, leaving a final podium of Verstappen, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr., meaning the Dutchman became just the fifth man in history to reach 50 career victories.

Here is the GPFans team's takes on the main talking points from another fascinating F1 race...

GPFans journalists on the US Grand Prix

Chris Deeley: Lead Editor

This weekend showed, above all else, what F1 teams, drivers and fans will miss out on if sprint weekends are made the norm.

Instead of a genuinely pacy Aston Martin mixing it with their 2023 rivals, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll had to start prohibitively far back – all because their single practice session before Friday's qualifying was disrupted by a brake issue.

If that wasn't bad enough, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified for overly-worn skid blocks – something Toto Wolff directly attributed to Mercedes having just one practice session to get their setup right. Make no mistake – the sprint format robbed Hamilton of this podium.

Liberty Media are dead set on making Friday sessions 'more watchable', but it's clearly starting to impact the main event on Sundays, the one day that really matters. For what, the 20-lap procession we saw on Saturday evening? Something's got to give.

Stuart Hodge: GPFans Chief Editor

#P1Problems.

Max Verstappen moaned A LOT during the race. It wasn't quite as processional as usual but the dominant Dutchman took the spoils.

Austin didn't feel like it had the pizzazz and razzmatazz of Miami and what is expected in Vegas but it definitely seems like the marriage between the USA and F1 is only headed in one direction. It was enjoyable to see the spirit of the fans in the stands, the partisan American fans add a new dynamic to the sport.

A word of credit for Max joining the 50-win club. Incredible work!

Matt Hobkinson: Lead Journalist and Editor

Well, it was always going to be Max. It certainly wasn’t as comfortable as we are used to, or Verstappen would have liked, but once again he got the job done.

A late charge for Ferrari briefly saw Carlos Sainz believe he could reel in Lando Norris, but the young Brit made sure that McLaren’s podium - as is customary in recent weeks - was once again secured.

After a lacklustre sprint, Sunday’s feature race certainly did not disappoint.

All eyes now excitedly turn to Mexico.

Dan Ripley: Deputy Editor

There are three United States grands prix held over a season. Two of them attract all the off-the-track glam, bells and whistles etc, the other at Austin is where the meat and bones of an F1 race really is.

The Circuit of the Americas rarely fails to produce excellent races on its complex and challenging layout and even as another race ends with Max Verstappen winning - this was anything but boring.

Gripping until the end - forget the Miami and Las Vegas hype, this is the proper home of Formula 1 racing in the United States.

Shay Rogers: Lead Researcher

We haven’t been treated to many close finishes this year, and while we didn’t get to see any on track battles at the end, it was nice to feel some adrenaline pumping through my veins again.

Special shoutout to both Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda for scoring their first points since the summer break, especially when the Aston Martin started from the pitlane. These final four races could be some of the better ones we have enjoyed all year!

Sam Cook: F1 Journalist

A race that promised so much for so long ends with the inevitable, another Verstappen win.

The Dutchman has been supreme this whole season, and anything his rivals throw at him, he seems to be able to come through the challenges.

Joe Ellis: Race Reporter

It’s no coincidence that the best three drivers in F1 right now finished in the top three positions on a challenging afternoon in the Texas heat.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been and are still the undisputed best two drivers in the world but there has always been a bit of a question mark over the next best. That question mark is no more.

Lando Norris never fails to get the most out of his car every single race and even though he lost out to Verstappen at COTA, he still kept his head and brought home a fourth successive podium when others would have buckled.

Cal Gaunt: F1 Journalist

This is always a race I look forward to, and I’ve come away not feeling an ounce of disappointment. Okay, it could have been a less-than-predictable final result, but you can’t have it all.

The race was a captivating strategic battle, marked by differing tyre compound choices and variations in tyre age. The RB19 faced challenges it isn’t used to on the uneven track surface, and the race appeared to highlight what I (really) hope is a narrowing performance gap between Red Bull and their competitors.

McLaren again showcased impressive race pace via Lando Norris, but their tyres appeared to deteriorate faster than those on the Mercedes. Ferrari also secured valuable points, with Carlos Sainz leading the charge.

Well done to Lance Stroll, too, who rounded off what has been a largely disappointing weekend for the whole of Aston Martin with a points finish.

On to Mexico we go!

Ronan Murphy: Social Media Editor

Clear eyes, dodgy brakes, can't lose.

Max Verstappen's brakes weren't at their best. Nor was his patience at times. But when that man is on form, he can't lose.

While much of America will be tuning in to NFL Redzone, Verstappen touched down with a brilliant win of his own to take his overall tally to 50.

Only Michael Schumacher did it quicker.

Verstappen is in that conversation now. And deservedly so. Forget the better equipment claims. How can it be better if it's not working properly?

Max just has the extreme focus and determination to win. And that he does. Again and again.

Texas Forever.

READ MORE: Verstappen oozes class to claim 50th F1 win in star-spangled drive