© Getty ImagesTop Five Moments From COTAAustin always delivers great racing, here’s the Team’s favourite moments from the weekend.
OnwhatwasanemotionalweekendforOracleRedBullracing–andtheentireRedBullfamily–TheUnitedStatesGrandPrixdeliveredathrillingracewithplentyofaction,andhereareourbestmomentsfromTexas.
MaxEquallingTheMostWinsInASeason
Max has collected his 13th win of the season. That equals a record held by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. He is in exceptionally good company and puts his name in the history books (again), and with three races to go, Max has the chance to stand alone atop the standings. The win also represents the 33rd of his career, his driver number until the beginning of this season.
Lucky Number Thirteen© Getty Images
The win didn’t come easy to Max however, with a slow stop on lap 36 putting him behind both Leclerc and Hamilton. With the Bull charging in to P2 and DRS range of Lewis Hamilton, it was reminiscent of the great battles they had throughout 2021.
On lap 49, Max was on the back of Hamilton and after turn 11 into the long straight the speed of the RB18 was too great and Max flew past Hamilton into turn 12. Hamilton fought back in the following corners, but Max was able to hold onto the lead and then kept pulling away, carving out a gap of more than five seconds by the end of the race.
We've Missed These Battles© Getty Images
ChecoBattlingFromP9WithADamagedWing
Due to a grid penalty, Checo had to start down in P9, but some great early driving saw him up in P7 by the end of lap one. He then lost the end plate of his front wing. However, that didn’t seem to slow the Mexican down.
He kept fighting and was in P4 by the end of lap five. As cars pitted around him, he led the race for several laps. After all the final pit stops had been made, he was in P5, but was able to get into P4 quickly. At that point there was 14 laps remaining and he was more than seven seconds behind Charles Leclerc, but Checo is a fighter. He kept pushing his RB18 and by the chequered flag was only 0.7s behind the Ferrari driver, much to the delight of the fans who could be heard cheering his name as he exited the car.
Damaged Car? No Problem Mate© Getty Images
MaxFightingHisWayBackToTheFront
On lap 38 when Max came into pits for his second stop The Team had a slow pitstop. Max was stationary for 11.1 seconds. He returned to the track in P5 and put his head down, working his way back up the field. With seven laps remaining Max was on the tail of Lewis Hamilton and took back the lead shortly after, to take his 33rd win of the season.
Leading The Pack© Getty Images
TheFifthWorldChampionship!
It’s been a long time coming but with three races remaining Oracle Red Bull Racing claimed its fifth Constructors’ Championship. The race also represented the 90th race win for the Team and the 230th podium.
It’s been nine seasons since the Team has won a constructors’ title and this one was emotional for several reasons, with the race and both championships dedicated to Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
Another Championship In The Bag© Getty Images
