(Getty Images/Formula1.com)

Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) took a flawless victory in the United States Grand Prix, the Monegasque leading Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz (No. 55 Scuderia Ferrari) in a 1-2 after storming through into the lead on the opening lap, while a tense late-race battle between Lando Norris (No. 4 McLaren Formula 1 Team) and Max Verstappen (No. 1 Oracle Red Bull Racing) saw Norris receive a penalty and drop to fourth behind his title rival. Pole-sitter Norris initially looked to have held the lead off the line when the lights went out for the 56-lap encounter, but the McLaren went side-by-side with Verstappen into the first corner, which led to the Briton being pushed wide, allowing Leclerc to sneak through and snatch P1. From there the Monegasque enjoyed an unchallenged drive to victory, while Sainz benefitted from an undercut to put himself into second place ahead of Verstappen following his pit stop, the Spaniard putting in a solid drive to cross the line 8.5s behind Leclerc. As the race entered into its final stages, Norris overtook Verstappen for P3 following a fiercely close duel between the championship rivals – but the nature of the move prompted discussion over the radio, with Verstappen and Red Bull claiming that Norris had overtaken outside of the track limits. This ultimately saw Norris receive a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, dropping him down from third to fourth and promoting Verstappen into the final podium position. The result has certainly given Ferrari a significant boost in the constructors’ battle, with their new total of 496 meaning that they trail second-placed Red Bull by only eight points, while McLaren remain in the lead on 544. In the drivers’ standings, Leclerc remains in third place but is now just 22 points adrift of Norris in second. Verstappen, meanwhile, has stretched his lead over Norris to 57 points. Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to Formula1.com)