THE STRATEGIST: Could Norris, Hamilton or Leclerc have beaten Verstappen in Austin with a different strategy?
/GettyImages-1737966378.webp)
Despite winning the 19-lap Saturday Sprint in Austin by 9.4 seconds, Max Verstappen struggled throughout the Grand Prix itself, complaining of issues with brake performance – and only finished 2.2 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton in P2 (before the Briton's disqualification).
So could any of the chasing pack have beaten the Dutchman on the day had they employed a different strategy? Former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins takes a look at the data to find out...
Next Up
Related Articles
How to stream the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix on F1 TV Premium
UnlockedTop 10 most memorable F1 moments at Sepang
UnlockedPALMER: Why George Russell’s Baku win was so impressive
Facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2026 Bahrain GP
Hadjar explains what makes Verstappen such a tough driver
Sainz and Albon evaluate Williams’ Baku upgrades
