Key Takeaways From The United States Grand Prix, Including Yuki Tsunoda Verdict

Great drivers tend to do especially well on great teams. While that is the case for Max Verstappen, who won four championships in a row with Red Bull being the best car on the grid for three of them, it is the challenging periods that show a driver's true talent.

In terms of wins, this is not a standout season for Verstappen. He has five for the season, far removed from his 19 first-placed finishes in 2023. But it is his perseverance in the face of what seemed like utter domination from McLaren that has impressed so many across 2025 — and Austin was vital in getting him back into the run-in for the Drivers' title.

Pole in both sprint qualifying and race qualifying were converted into wins in both, meaning Verstappen left Texas with all 33 points available to him. He has now cut down a 41-point deficit from Lando Norris to 26, and heads to Mexico with a 40-point gap to Piastri.

While he might not win the title, nobody can say he isn't trying.

At McLaren, tensions are rising

While Zak Brown was fairly quick to retract the comment he made about other drivers on the grid racing like it was 'amateur hour' after his two McLaren drivers collided in the sprint, the fact he made such comments could be a good highlighter of the team's mood right now.

This is an unprecedented situation for McLaren. Last year brought the British team their first Constructors' title since 1998, and this season could see either one of their drivers be the first to pick up a title for the team since Lewis Hamilton.

A 109-point lead for Piastri and a 70-point lead for Norris over Verstappen after the Dutch Grand Prix has now been halved thanks to the Dutchman's late surge, and while Norris scored a podium at Austin, Piastri's lack of pace on Sunday — sixth in qualifying, only converted to fifth in the GP — will quell no fears that this could all end in disaster for either driver.

Yuki Tsunoda might be saving his own season

No podium has come yet for the struggling Tsunoda in the second Red Bull car, but his results have looked better over the past three races.

He is one of the most scrutinized drivers at any of the top teams — alongside Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari — and his lack of points in 2025 paints a fairly negative picture of the Japanese star.

Tsunoda gained 11 places in the sprint race, partially helped by the incident at Turn 1, but also thanks to his own tenacity, and on Sunday he showed determination yet again. Starting 13th, the 25-year-old walked away with six points in the bag as he rose six places to 7th.

Speculation over a potential replacement — Isack Hadjar — has not yet resulted in any official announcement, but if Tsunoda can pick up a few more points finishes by the season's end, he might be at Red Bull for 2026.