Leclerc wins US Grand Prix and late penalty gives Verstappen 3rd place over Norris in title chase

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari its first United States Grand Prix victory since 2018 with a commanding drive Sunday, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen strengthened his lead in the F1 season championship with a podium finish awarded by a late penalty on McLaren's Lando Norris.

Verstappen finished third after Norris was given a five-second penalty for leaving the track to pass Verstappen in the final laps.

Norris' pass came after the two drivers had battled for the final podium spot and critical championship points over several laps and Verstappen had stubbornly refused to give ground.

Verstappen immediately complained after Norris passed him. The McLaren driver insisted Verstappen also left the track.

“It was a tough battle. I tied to do everything I could to keep him behind. To be on the podium is a good result,” Verstappen said. “I have my opinion (on the penalty). I’ll let the stewards do their thing.”

The penalty and fourth place finish may cost Norris dearly in the title chase. Verstappen stretched his championship lead over Norris from 54 points to 57 with five grand prix and two sprint races left.

Leclerc earned his third win of the season and Ferrari pulled a 1-2 finish with his teammate Carlos Sainz in second. Kimi Raikkonen had been the last Ferrari winner at the Circuit of the Americas in 2018.

“We couldn’t have dreamed for better,” Leclerc said. “It was a bit of a lonely race, but a good kind of lonely.”

The bigger battle was raging behind them. Verstappen and Norris tangled at the start and fought over every inch of the track in the final dozen laps.

Verstappen has not won a grand prix since June and Norris has steadily chipped away at his lead as the Red Bull car has faded. Yet Verstappen still stretched his lead by five points over the weekend by also winning Saturday's sprint race.

Norris leaves Austin knowing he squandered a big chance to gain ground. He had even earned pole position for Sunday's race.

Verstappen started right beside him and the fireworks between the drivers ignited in the first turn.

Both cars run wide, leaving room for Leclerc to pounce on the opening. The Ferrari driver jumped from fourth and straight into the lead, and quickly drove off for the victory.

Norris complained Verstappen forced him off the track. It was just the start of a scrap they would rejoin late in the race.

Verstappen said he “enjoyed the battle today” and had little sympathy for Norris losing the podium. Verstappen noted he was stripped of a podium finish in Austin in 2017 for a pass that was determined to be illegal.

“I just tried to remain calm and bring the car to the end,” Verstappen said.

That was key. Norris’ pace late in the race was good enough that he could have given the place back to Verstappen and tried to pass him again.

Instead, Norris chose to try to stretch the gap ahead of Verstappen to more than five seconds to nullify the penalty. He only got to 4.1 seconds.

“He defends by going off-track, he overtakes by going off-track. But I’m not going to complain. Max drove well and he defended well, we had a good race together. But the rules are the rules.” Norris told Sky Sport F1.

McLaren team principal Andre Stella said race stewards “interfered with a beautiful piece of motorsport.”

“Both cars went off track so both cars gained an advantage,” Stella said. “It’s a shame because it cost us a podium.”

It was a race weekend to forget for Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton who once dominated at COTA.

Hamilton’s race ended on the second lap after poor qualifying left him starting from 17th. He quicky shoot up to 12th, then spun his car into gravel and retired. It was the first time the seven-time champion failed to finish a race in the U.S.

Hamilton was disqualified from his second-place finish in 2023 after his car failed a postrace inspection. Hamilton has five wins at COTA but none since 2017. He will race for Ferrari next season.

Sunday wasn’t a total loss for Mercedes. George Russell started in pit lane after a crash in qualifying and stormed through the field to sixth.

“Thanks to everyone for fixing the car. Drinks on me tonight,” Russell said over team radio.

The 1-2 finish has pulled Ferrari within eight points of Red Bull in the lucrative team constructors championship and within 48 points of McLaren.

“We are still targeting the (team) title,” Leclerc said. “It's an optimistic goal, but that’s what we're here for.”

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

McLaren driver Lando Norris, left, of Britain, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, right, of the Netherlands, race through a turn during the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

McLaren driver Lando Norris, left front, of Britain, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, right front, of the Netherlands, lead drivers at the start of the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Fans watch as drivers race in the F1 U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Patrick Fallon/Pool Photo via AP)

Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz, from left, of Spain, who finished in second stands by race winner and teammate Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, who placed third in the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, holds the trophy after winning the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick)

Drivers head into Turn 1 during the F1 U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Patrick Fallon/Pool Photo via AP)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, leads Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, through a turn during the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, left, of the Netherlands, runs McLaren driver Lando Norris, right, of Britain, off the track at Turn 1 during the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, heads into Turn 1 during the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Drivers head into Turn 1 at the start of the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

McLaren driver Lando Norris, of Britain, leads drives into Turn 1 during the U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, of Spain, exits pit row during the F1 U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Patrick Fallon/Pool Photo via AP)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, leads Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, of Spain, through a turn during U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, exits pit row during the F1 U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Patrick Fallon/Pool Photo via AP)

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Oscar has made landfall in eastern Cuba, an island beleaguered by a massive power outage, after striking the southeastern Bahamas.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm’s center arrived in the Cuban province of Guantanamo, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday evening. Its maximum sustained winds were near 80 mph.

Oscar made landfall on Great Inagua island in the Bahamas earlier Sunday. It is expected to produce a dangerous storm surge that could translate into significant coastal flooding there and in other areas of the southeastern Bahamas.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Oscar made landfall early Sunday in the southeastern Bahamas and was heading toward Cuba, an island beleaguered by a massive power outage.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm's center arrived on Great Inagua island. It is expected to produce a dangerous storm surge that could translate into significant coastal flooding there and in other areas of the southeastern Bahamas. Two to four inches of rainfall are expected, with isolated areas seeing up to six inches.

Forecasters said five to 10 inches of rain are expected across eastern Cuba through Tuesday, with some isolated locations getting up to 15 inches.

Oscar formed Saturday off the coast of the Bahamas and brushed past the Turks and Caicos islands to the south.

The National Hurricane Center earlier characterized the storm as “tiny,” but hurricane warnings were in place Sunday for southeastern Bahamas and portions of Cuba.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were clocked at 80 mph (130 kph) with higher gusts. Its center was located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east-northeast of Guantanamo, Cuba. The storm was heading west at 7 mph (11 kph) and was expected to reach Guantanamo or Holguin, Cuba, on Sunday at hurricane strength.

The hurricane's approach comes as Cuba tries to recover from its worst blackout in at least two years, which left millions without power for two days last week. Some electrical service was restored Saturday.

Philippe Papin of the National Hurricane Center said it was somewhat unexpected that Oscar became a hurricane Saturday.

“Unfortunately the system kind of snuck up a little bit on us,” Papin said.

Hours earlier Tropical Storm Nadine formed off Mexico’s southern Caribbean coast. It degenerated into a tropical depression as it moved over land.

This satellite image provided by NOAA on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 shows Hurricane Oscar. (NOAA via AP)