Max on the attack. How do McLaren fight back? – 2025 US GP Review with James Hinchcliffe
F1 Nation
Formula 1
4.3 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 20 October 2025
⏱️ 51 minutes
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Summary
Max Verstappen dominated the weekend with victories in the Grand Prix and F1 Sprint to make up more ground on the McLaren drivers. He’s now just 40 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, and only 26 adrift of Lando Norris, with five rounds to go.
Having now gone three races without a podium, what’s causing Oscar’s dip in form? How crucial could Lando’s overtake of Charles Leclerc in the latter stages be to the outcome of this title fight? And, if Max and Red Bull’s resurgence continues, will McLaren have to favour one of Oscar and Lando to ensure they win a first drivers’ championship since 2008? Hinch also shares his thoughts on the ‘repercussions’ Lando Norris said he’ll face until the end of the season after his collision with Oscar in Singapore.
Leclerc secured his and Ferrari’s first podium since Belgium, six races ago. Why did his strategy to start on the soft tyres work so well? How did Ferrari turn their performance around after a challenging Friday? And will fourth-placed Lewis Hamilton see this as a missed opportunity to have scored his first podium for the team?
Plus, Tom and Hinch discuss Mercedes’ announcement that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will drive for the team in 2026.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Max just doesn't miss, does he? |
| 0:04.7 | The dream of Title V is alive for Max Vastappen. |
| 0:09.4 | Max Verstappen wins the U.S. Grand Prix. |
| 0:12.3 | This is where it's dangerous. |
| 0:14.2 | Max isn't, he's not acting like a human at the minute. |
| 0:20.8 | The two McLaren drivers are not free right now. |
| 0:24.0 | They are weighted down with this looming battle. |
| 0:27.9 | Imagine, if you will, that you and I are running McLaren. |
| 0:32.2 | Would we favor one driver over the other? |
| 0:35.5 | I'm so torn on this one. |
| 0:37.3 | Red Bull of Street fighters, McLaren, aren't yet. |
| 0:40.2 | That whole repercussions discussion is one of the most bizarre and goofiest things I've heard of in professional motorsports. |
| 0:52.9 | Sprint pole, sprint win, Grand Prix pole, Grand Prix win. |
| 0:58.1 | Max Verstappen and Red Bull are well and truly back. |
| 1:02.4 | Welcome to Austin, everyone, for F1Nation's review of the United States Grand Prix. |
| 1:07.5 | I'm Tom Clarkson and joining me in the paddock is F1 TV expert, six-time IndyCar |
| 1:13.1 | race winner and recent Hass F1 test driver James Hinchcliffe. Hinch, great to have you on the show |
| 1:19.3 | again. First of all, what did you make of the US Grand Prix? Well, I mean, as a race, you know, |
| 1:26.9 | the 56 laps around the circuit were not the most thrilling Grand Prix, I think we've seen in the last little while. |
| 1:34.0 | That said, the results and the implications on the championship. |
| 1:37.8 | Wow. |
| 1:38.4 | It's so fascinating, so interesting. |
... |
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