Max Verstappen elected Driver of the Day in the United States
After a somewhat shaky start, the Dutchman managed to outperform his main rival in a rather tense race from a strategic point of view, thanks to which he received the title of driver of the day.
After a failed start, it seemed that the initiative had firmly passed into the hands of his main opponent in the fight for the championship crown. But the Austrian team was not discouraged and changed the race strategy in time. Realizing that it would not be easy to outperform Mercedes on the track, Max changed tires before Lewis each time, thus using the undercut technique. Thanks to the fresher tires, Verstappen was able to maintain a high pace and stay ahead of Hamilton each time.
It was noted that on the straight lines, Mercedes was faster and as a result, at the end of each segment, Lewis closed in on Max within striking distance. By the end of the race, due to tire wear difference, Hamilton started gaining a second and a half per lap. At one point, it even seemed that Max could come in for a third pit stop, then try to catch up and overtake the Briton with softer tires. But Verstappen decided to finish the race in defensive mode, which he did brilliantly and won the race.
The ranking for the title of « driver of the day.
Max Verstappen: 22.7%
Lewis Hamilton: 17.1%
Daniel Ricciardo: 8.7%
Sergio Perez: 8.2%
Charles Leclerc: 7.2%