In the vibrant world of Formula 1, Max Verstappen has once again proven why he is one of the greatest talents of all time. During the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, the Dutch driver delivered a performance that not only took his rivals’ breath away, but also left his own team in utter amazement. Even Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s team leader, openly admitted that the entire team was amazed by what Verstappen showed there. “Honestly, from the first round, even though we worked with him every day, we were still amazed by what he showed,” Mekies admitted in a press conference afterwards. It was a moment of pure recognition, not only for Verstappen’s sheer speed, but also for his clever tactics to finally deceive his most annoying rival, McLaren.
The race in Austin, which was held on October 20, 2025, was quite a spectacle. With the sun high in the Texan sky and an enthusiastic crowd along the track, Verstappen started from second place on the grid. Lando Norris, McLaren’s British star, had taken pole position and looked determined to extend his lead in the championship. Oscar Piastri, Verstappen’s other formidable opponent at McLaren, was lurking in third position. Red Bull had been working hard on the RB21 car in recent weeks, after a season full of ups and downs. The transition from Christian Horner to Laurent Mekies as team boss had brought a breath of fresh air, with more focus on technical innovations and Verstappen’s feedback. Yet no one was prepared for the masterclass that the 28-year-old Limburger would give.
From the start it was clear that Verstappen was playing in a league of his own. While Norris tried to drive away, Verstappen immediately dove into the McLaren’s slipstream. In the famous esses of sector two, where precision and courage go hand in hand, he made a daring overtaking maneuver. “I saw a small gap and thought: now or never,” Verstappen would later say, laughing. With a perfectly timed braking action and flawless apex control he shot past Norris. The crowd exploded in cheers, and in the Red Bull garage jaws dropped in amazement. Engineers who have worked with Verstappen for years knew he was brilliant, but this level of control on a circuit with such challenging corners – inspired by Silverstone and Hockenheim – was nothing short of astonishing.
Mekies, the French engineer who has been at the helm of Red Bull since September 2025, could not believe his eyes. In an exclusive post-race interview, he admitted the team was “speechless”. “We had a solid setup, but what Max did went beyond what we expected. From lap one it was as if he read the track like an open book. Even I, who thought I had seen everything in this sport, was amazed.” Mekies’ words underline a break with the past; Under Horner, Red Bull was often dominant, but sometimes predictable. Now, with Mekies’ approach to more open discussions and technical depth, Verstappen is flourishing. “He is a huge asset, in and outside the car,” Mekies said in The Guardian earlier this month. And in Austin Verstappen proved that again and again.
But the best part was yet to come: how Verstappen outsmarted McLaren. The team from Woking, which had already secured the constructors’ championship in Singapore, had seen Austin as prey. Norris and Piastri dominated qualifying and seemed to split the race. Verstappen, however, had other plans. During the pit stop phase, around lap 25, he played a psychological game. Red Bull opted for an undercut strategy with soft tires, while McLaren stuck with mediums. Verstappen came out like a rocket and not only overshadowed Norris, but also created chaos in the McLaren box. Piastri, who tried to pass his teammate, got into a wrong slipstream and lost precious seconds. “It was like Max was making fun of us,” chuckled Norris post-race, with a mixture of admiration and frustration. Zak Brown, the McLaren boss, could only nod: “Verstappen is a phenomenon. He turns every race into a chess game.”
The rivals had to give in to Verstappen’s talent. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth, called it “a lesson in pure racing”. Even Piastri, who finished second but was far behind Verstappen, admitted: “He’s just on a different level here in the US.” This is not the first time that Verstappen has silenced his critics. After a difficult start to the season – with a DNF in Austria due to a collision with Kimi Antonelli – he rose to the top with victories in Monza and Baku. In Singapore he finished second, and now in Austin he takes his fifth win of 2025. With nine podiums under his belt, he closes Piastri to 63 points in the championship, with seven races to go. “This gives momentum,” said Verstappen himself. “We keep pushing.”
For Red Bull, Austin was a turning point. The team, which struggled with tire wear and balance problems earlier this year, has created an all-rounder under Mekies. “We’ve been working hard on the aerodynamics and the suspension,” explained chief engineer Adrian Newey – although Newey himself is focused on 2026. The garage was a hotbed of ideas, with Verstappen providing feedback after each session. “Max pushes us to be better,” Mekies said. “His intuition is worth gold.” The result? A car that is not only fast in straights, but also agile in the hairpin bends of sector three. Even the fans, who have adored Verstappen for years, saw a new dimension: not just the aggressive lion, but a strategist who plays his prey.
Yet it was not all roses. Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen’s teammate, finished only tenth after a touch with an Alpine. “We have to make the second car stronger,” Mekies acknowledged. But the focus was on the winner. In the podium ceremony, with champagne spraying under the stars and stripes, Verstappen embraced his team. “This is for all of you,” he shouted. Mekies, with a broad smile, could only agree. The astonishment had turned to pride.
Verstappen’s performance in Austin reminds us why Formula 1 is so addictive: individual genius versus teamwork, rivalry mixed with respect. McLaren may have the constructors’ title, but Verstappen keeps the tension going. With races in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi in sight, an epic season finale beckons. “I enjoy teasing them,” Verstappen winked at Norris. And so the Dutchman continues, his talent recognized by friend and foe. In Austin he showed: class cannot be bought, it can be earned – lap after lap.
