WATCH: See the tense final lap in full as Hamilton pushes Verstappen all the way in Texas
After polesitter Max Verstappen lost the lead at the start in Austin, Red Bull went aggressive on strategy, pulling their man in early to get the undercut on Lewis Hamilton.
There was risk involved – it meant he’d have to complete the closing stages of the race on much older tyres than his Mercedes rival – but would it work?
Sure enough the move gave Verstappen track position, but as team boss Christian Horner predicted from the pit wall, it would all come down to the final few laps.
After his final stop, Hamilton was eight seconds behind the championship leader, but some relentless ‘hammer time’ saw the gap steadily fall until with just one tour of the Circuit of The Americas remaining, his Red Bull target was within DRS range.
It set up the tensest finale imaginable to the United States Grand Prix – and you can relive the tension of that final lap in full in the video above. Enjoy!
Next Up
Related Articles
UnlockedThe encouraging signs hidden within McLaren's Baku upgrade
Aston Martin keep Alonso and Stroll for 2027
How Baku highlighted McLaren’s straight line weakness
The 2026 Qualifying and race head-to-heads so far
Binotto wants Slater in an F1 seat in the near future
BettingBahrain Grand Prix betting guide and latest odds