Verstappen holds off Hamilton to double his F1 lead

REUTERS: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen doubled his lead in the Formula One world championship to 12 points after holding off charging title rival Lewis Hamilton to win the US Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday.

Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Hamilton slashed the Dutch driver’s lead with a late attack on fresher tyres but finished 1.333 seconds behind, with a bonus point for fastest lap at the Circuit of the Americas.

Red Bull’s Mexican Sergio Perez was a distant third, struggling with dehydration after a water bottle failure in the Texas heat.

The win was Verstappen’s eighth of the season, and first in America, but one he had to sweat for in front of a sell-out 140,000 crowd.

Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo fifth for McLaren and Hamilton’s team mate Valtteri Bottas sixth.

The points cut Mercedes lead in the constructors’ standings to 23 points from 36.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was seventh, followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel.

McLaren’s lead over Ferrari in the battle for third was cut to 3.5 points.

AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon both retired with mechanical issues while Alpine Fernando Alonso stopped in the pits with a rear wing issue five laps from the end.

The next race is on 7 November in Mexico City, Perez’s home race and a circuit expected to favour Red Bull.