Leclerc Closes to Within Eight Points of Hamilton as Ferrari and ZYN Extend Their Lead in Austin

Kimi Antonelli dominated the United States Grand Prix to claim his ninth victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season, but it was Charles Leclerc who emerged as the biggest winner in the Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship. The Ferrari driver finished second at the Circuit of The Americas, reducing Lewis Hamilton's advantage in our unofficial drivers' standings to just eight points, while Ferrari and ZYN extended their lead over McLaren and VELO to 119 points.

It was another encouraging weekend for Ferrari, with Hamilton recovering to fourth after overtaking Lando Norris in the closing laps. McLaren's difficult run continued, with Norris finishing fifth and Oscar Piastri seventh, while Valtteri Bottas suffered another retirement for Cadillac and 77.

With five Grands Prix remaining, Ferrari appears increasingly secure in the teams' competition, but the battle between its two drivers is becoming considerably more interesting.

Antonelli Dominates as Red Bull's Winning Streak Ends

After Max Verstappen's victories in Malaysia and Singapore, the United States Grand Prix had promised a close contest between Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari. Instead, Antonelli produced one of his most convincing performances of the season, converting pole position into a commanding victory.

The Mercedes driver maintained his lead at the start and controlled the race despite the different tyre strategies unfolding behind him. While Ferrari and Red Bull opted for two stops, Antonelli completed a single pit stop on lap 24, managing his tyres effectively and avoiding the traffic that complicated his rivals' afternoons, eventually crossing the finish line 13.078 seconds ahead of Leclerc and securing his ninth victory of the season, moving another step closer to becoming the youngest World Champion in Formula 1 history.

Verstappen's attempt to secure a third consecutive victory was undermined by several problems. A difficult start allowed Leclerc to move ahead, while inconsistent power delivery, tyre strategy and a slow pit stop complicated the Red Bull driver's race. Although he briefly recovered second place, Leclerc overtook him again during the closing stages, leaving Verstappen third.

The result also highlighted the contrasting fortunes of the Mercedes drivers. While Antonelli dominated, George Russell struggled with the handling of his car and finished eighth after serving a five-second penalty for an opening-lap incident involving Piastri. Antonelli's championship celebrations must now wait until Mexico, but his advantage has become almost insurmountable.

Leclerc Delivers Another Podium for Ferrari and ZYN

For the second consecutive Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was Ferrari's strongest performer. Having finished second in Singapore, the Monegasque repeated that result in Austin with an impressive drive that included two important overtakes on Verstappen.

Leclerc had been criticised for being too cautious when challenging Verstappen at the start in Singapore, but there was no hesitation this time. He attacked the Red Bull through the opening sequence of corners, taking advantage of Verstappen's difficult launch to move ahead. Although Verstappen subsequently recovered the position, Ferrari's tyre management proved decisive later in the race. Leclerc was able to exploit his fresher tyres to overtake the Dutchman again, securing second place behind Antonelli.

Hamilton also produced an encouraging recovery after starting fifth. He moved into fourth on the opening lap and remained involved in the battle behind the leaders, although Ferrari's two-stop strategy temporarily dropped him down the order. The seven-time World Champion fought back during the closing stages, passing Isack Hadjar before catching Norris, whose older tyres were beginning to lose performance. Hamilton completed the overtake on lap 51, securing fourth place and another 12 points.

Ferrari's second and fourth places earned 30 points for ZYN, compared with 16 for McLaren and VELO. It was another demonstration of Ferrari's improving race performance, although the team will be disappointed that qualifying difficulties once again left its drivers starting further back than their eventual pace suggested was necessary.

McLaren and VELO Lose More Ground

McLaren arrived in Austin hoping to recover from a difficult Singapore weekend, but the United States Grand Prix provided little evidence that the team's recent problems have been resolved. Norris started eighth and adopted a one-stop strategy that briefly appeared capable of producing an unexpected podium. By extending his stint on hard tyres while his rivals stopped again, he climbed to second place during the closing stages.

Unfortunately, the strategy left him vulnerable to drivers on fresher tyres. Verstappen and Leclerc both overtook him on lap 47, before Hamilton completed another pass four laps later. Norris eventually finished fifth, collecting 10 points but losing further ground to both Ferrari drivers in our championship.

Piastri's afternoon was even less encouraging. Although he had qualified ahead of Norris, his race pace was disappointing, and McLaren instructed the Australian to allow his teammate through early in the Grand Prix. Piastri subsequently struggled to maintain consistent performance and finished seventh, adding six points to VELO's total.

The result underlined the difficulties McLaren has experienced with its 2026 car. Norris remains capable of producing competitive performances, but the team is struggling to match the consistency of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. Piastri has found the car particularly difficult to manage, with Austin exposing weaknesses that have troubled him throughout the season.

For the Nicotine Pouch Championship, the consequences are becoming increasingly serious. McLaren has now lost ground to Ferrari in four consecutive Grand Prix weekends, leaving VELO with a substantial deficit to overcome.

Leclerc Moves Within Eight Points of Hamilton

Before Singapore, Hamilton held a 23-point advantage over Leclerc. That fell to 14 points following Leclerc's second place at Marina Bay, and another runner-up finish in Austin has reduced the difference to just eight.

Hamilton remains first with 241 points, but Leclerc has climbed to 233, while Norris is now 22 points behind Leclerc in third. Piastri remains fourth, with Bottas still searching for his first point.

Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Drivers' Championship – After the United States Grand Prix

Leclerc's recent form has transformed the individual competition. He has now finished second in consecutive Grands Prix, while Hamilton has been unable to match his teammate's points haul despite remaining competitive.

The eight-point gap means that Leclerc could take the championship lead in Mexico if he finishes sufficiently far ahead of Hamilton. Norris remains within reach of the Ferrari drivers, but McLaren's recent lack of pace makes a sustained challenge increasingly difficult.

Ferrari and ZYN Extend Their Teams' Lead to 119 Points

Leclerc's 18 points and Hamilton's 12 gave ZYN a combined total of 30, while Norris and Piastri collected 16 for VELO. That increased Ferrari's advantage from 105 to 119 points.

Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Teams' Championship – After the United States Grand Prix

Ferrari's position is now considerably stronger than it was during the summer, when McLaren's victories had threatened to close the gap. Consistent results from Hamilton and Leclerc have allowed ZYN to rebuild its advantage, while McLaren's recent difficulties have made it increasingly difficult for VELO to respond.

Cadillac and 77 remain without a point after Bottas retired from the United States Grand Prix with an engine problem. His teammate Sergio Pérez finished 19th, continuing a difficult debut season for the American team.

Bottas also faces uncertainty about his future with Cadillac, which has yet to confirm its complete driver plans for 2027. The Finn has argued that the team's numerous technical problems make meaningful comparisons between its drivers difficult, but another retirement in Austin did little to strengthen his position.

Next Stop: Mexico City

The championship now moves directly to Mexico City for the Mexican Grand Prix on 30 October–1 November, where Antonelli will have another opportunity to secure his first Formula 1 World Championship.

For the Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Championship, however, the most interesting battle is increasingly taking place within Ferrari. Hamilton has led the drivers' standings for much of the season, but Leclerc's recent performances have brought him to within eight points of his teammate. Ferrari and ZYN now hold a commanding 119-point advantage in the teams' competition, while McLaren and VELO desperately need to rediscover the form that made them such serious challengers earlier in the year.

With five races remaining, the teams' championship is moving firmly in Ferrari's direction, but the individual competition is far from settled. Antonelli may have been Austin's undisputed winner, but for the Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship, the biggest story is Leclerc's continuing pursuit of Hamilton at the top.

The Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship is an independent, unofficial editorial ranking of selected drivers using their actual Formula 1 results. The nicotine pouch brand associations are fictional editorial pairings and do not represent sponsorship, endorsement or affiliation with Formula 1, its teams or drivers.