Leclerc explains battery move that put him alongside Verstappen on lap one

After the United States Grand Prix, Leclerc said he had made a good start but did not want to brake too late for Turn 1, keeping open a chance to cross back at the exit. He said Hamilton got close before he used more battery to draw alongside Max Verstappen through Turns 3, 4 and 5 on the opening lap.

Verstappen was slow away, and Leclerc went around the outside at Turns 4 and 5. Verstappen passed him again later in the lap to reclaim second. Leclerc called the race fun and said there was “something to play for.”

The pair fought for second again in the closing stages of a two-stop strategy duel. Leclerc passed Verstappen at Turn 12 to finish runner-up behind Kimi Antonelli.

Leclerc said he had briefly thought victory was possible when Antonelli went for a one-stop, but he was “probably a bit too optimistic”: he expected Antonelli to struggle more late on and said the leader “never really struggled”. Antonelli finished 13 seconds ahead of Leclerc.