Verstappen wins US GP, says being aggressive worked

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after winning the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. Pic/AFP

Max Verstappen held off a charging Lewis Hamilton to win the United States Grand Prix on Sunday and extend his Formula One world championship lead to 12 points.

Verstappen, in a Red Bull, claimed his first victory at the Circuit of the Americas in front of 140,000 fans. Mercedes star Hamilton, the reigning world champion, had cut the deficit in the race to under a second on the penultimate lap but could not find a way through the Dutchman's defence.

"Of course we lost out in the start so we had to try and do something else," said Verstappen.

High tyre wear

"The tyre wear is quite high around this track, we went aggressive and I was not sure it was going to work but the last few laps were fun. A bit sideways through the high-speed corners but super happy to hang on."

Sergio Perez completed the podium for Red Bull. The victory by 1.33 seconds was Verstappen's eighth of the season at a track where Hamilton had won five times. "I think I've aged about 25 years in that race," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. "I didn't think we were going to hang on."

‘Tough race'

Hamilton admitted Red Bull were stronger. "Max did a great job today," he said on the podium. "It was such a tough race. I got a good start, gave it absolutely everything but at the end of the day, they just had the upper hand and we couldn't have asked for more."

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