Lando Norris hailed his hard-fought second place at the United States Grand Prix as “finally” the breakthrough he had been waiting for, after fending off a spirited challenge from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in Austin.

The McLaren driver produced one of his most disciplined drives of the season to finish runner-up behind Max Verstappen, who dominated from pole to secure his record-extending seventh win at the Circuit of the Americas.

It was a controlled yet tense afternoon for Norris, who spent much of the race bottled up behind Leclerc before finding a way through in the closing stages. The 24-year-old admitted the duel took everything he had, both strategically and mentally.

“Finally. Finally – it took long enough,” he said afterwards. “It was a good battle with Charles, he fought hard. It was tough. We did everything we could. I thought we had it in an easier way after we got ahead and went much longer, but it wasn’t the case.

Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc both enjoyed thier race-long fight at the US Grand Prix

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Verstappen’s victory tightened his pursuit of Oscar Piastri in the championship, while Norris trimmed his McLaren teammate’s lead to just 14 points with five races remaining.

After a series of races where tyre degradation hampered his chances, Norris said the late stages were about control as much as aggression.

“I really started to struggle with my tyres,” he said. “So I backed off for quite a few laps, went again, and it worked. Good strategy, some good driving, and a fun race.”

Leclerc, who started third and briefly jumped both McLarens with a bold move on the soft tyres, held second for much of the afternoon before ultimately yielding to Norris with five laps remaining.

Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc put on a show for fans watching the race

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The Ferrari driver said his podium felt like a reward after a challenging few months.

“I was a little bit worried when I saw I was the only car on the softs,” Leclerc admitted.

“I knew it was a risky move. What I had in mind was to use the softs and get free air. It was quite optimistic because we had two cars in front, but we gained one position and that helped a lot after the race. I’m very happy overall because it’s been a tough second part of the year, and to be back on the podium feels good.”

Reflecting on his scrap with Norris, he added: “I enjoyed it. Unfortunately I lost out in the end, but I had fun in the car.”

Max Verstappen dominated the US Grand Prix from lights to flag

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The result capped a weekend where McLaren’s pace suggested they could challenge Red Bull, yet Verstappen’s flawless drive once again underscored the gap at the top.

The Dutchman’s control from lights to flag along with Ferrari’s strong tyre management and McLaren’s persistence, leaves the title fight delicately poised heading into the final stretch of the season.