Lewis Hamilton crashes out just THREE LAPS into US Grand Prix as birthday boy Charles Leclerc coasts to victory

A FERRARI treble rained connected the parade of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris’ complaint to the title.

It genuinely was the Wild West connected way from commencement to decorativeness arsenic Norris and Verstappen produced an almighty scrap arsenic they battled chemoreceptor to process for third-place from 12-laps to go.

The apical 2 positions had already been snatched from their clutches arsenic day lad Charles Leclerc capitalised connected a mediocre commencement from pole-sitter Norris to transverse the enactment successful first.

Carlos Sainz took second-place 8 seconds down his teammate but nary 1 volition care.

All eyes had been connected Norris and Verstappen's each retired warfare with the Dutchman producing a antiaircraft masterclass until five-laps-to-go.

Norris overtook the Red Bull connected thigh 51 but went disconnected the way and was slapped with a five-second punishment meaning helium had to settee for 4th down third-place Verstappen.

The Texas rodeo continued arsenic seven-time satellite champion Lewis Hamilton was forced to RETIRE conscionable 3 laps successful aft spinning disconnected astatine Turn 19 and beaching himself connected the gravel.

Norris knew it was beauteous overmuch bash oregon dice successful Texas, fixed Verstappen soared to triumph successful Saturday’s sprint-race and stretching his pb to 54 points successful the driver’s championship.

Verstappen's satellite title pb is present up to 57 points, having  built it by 5 points crossed the weekend, portion Norris' hopes of chasing down the Dutchman person been massively dented with 5 rounds remaining.

The McLaren driver, whose starts person been his Achilles’ heel, got disconnected good but near excessively overmuch abstraction for Verstappen to bulldoze inside.

FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS

It is the 5th contention this play that helium has started connected rod but not been successful the pb aft the opening lap, having done the aforesaid astatine the Spanish, Hungarian, Dutch and Italian Grands Prix.

The Red Bull ran Norris wide connected the mode retired of the archetypal corner, and Leclerc swept done to instrumentality the pb from fourth.

The different Ferrari Carlos Sainz besides nipped past Norris, leaving the McLaren successful fourth.

McLaren reported the incidental arsenic they felt Verstappen pushed him wide, but truly Norris was not assertive capable and lone had himself to blame.

Norris said connected his squad radio: "He intelligibly pushed maine off. He had nary intent to marque the corner.

"Even helium went disconnected the track. I had to debar crashing into him oregon him into me."

There was a information car connected thigh 3 arsenic catastrophe struck forHamilton who was forced to discontinue arsenic helium spun disconnected and beached himself connected the gravel connected Turn 19.

It was the nonstop aforesaid spot his teammate Russell spun retired successful qualifying and determination wasn’t overmuch the seven-time satellite champion could bash astir it.

It prompted the archetypal Safety Car since the Canadian Grand Prix successful June and astatine the restart Leclerc struggled to make a spread to Verstappen but managed to marque it done the archetypal country successful the lead.

On thigh 17 Toto Wolff came connected the vigor to slam the “total joke” five-second punishment for an overtake connected for allegedly forcing Valteri Bottas disconnected the way successful an overtake earlier on.

Half mode done and Leclerc was a whopping 10 seconds up of Verstappen, but the Ferrari operator did not privation to beryllium near retired arsenic bait for excessively agelong earlier pitting.

He said connected his squad radio: "Don't permission maine retired for excessively long. I bash not privation to beryllium nether pressure."

By thigh 36, Norris and Verstappen were tussling for 3rd spot arsenic the McLaren was closing successful connected his rival.

Verstappen was fuming and said connected his squad radio: “These tyres conscionable aren't good. I can't brake, I can't onslaught anything."

Second-place Sainz was relentless and by thigh 43 deed backmost with different fastest lap, cranking up the unit connected his teammate retired front.

Norris continued to drawback astatine Verstappen’s heels and closed the spread to conscionable 0.6 seconds with 12 laps to go.

The Dutchman knew helium had a contention connected his hands and kept the McLaren astatine bay with text-book defence until thigh 52.

Norris got the determination down astatine Turn 12 but it appeared to beryllium disconnected the way and Verstappen fumed connected his squad radio: “He overtook maine extracurricular of the track."

Lewis Hamilton said aft the race: "I person ne'er spun particularly connected the 2nd lap, it's devastating to not beryllium successful the contention due to the fact that I emotion this race.

"It's evidently a akin concern to George yesterday, the car is precise sensitive, it started bouncing, I wasn't adjacent pushing. I mislaid a load of the rear and it came round."

On hoping for different triumph successful the Mercedes with 5 races to go, helium added: "Of course, that's what we're moving towards.

“That is painful, it's ne'er happened to maine earlier but this play the assurance had gone already from the archetypal rotation we had.

"We request to spell backmost to the drafting committee and fig retired what has been incorrect with the car this play due to the fact that it's not been normal. We volition enactment connected it and effort and travel backmost stronger."