At the Circuit of The Americas in Texas , home to the 2025 United States Grand PrixTM, Charles Leclerc delivered a performance of grit and tactical clarity to re-claim a podium for Scuderia Ferrari, even as the season remains stacked against the Scuderia in their upward climb.
The race story: podium secured & hope renewed
The weekend began in familiar mixed fashion for Ferrari: Leclerc started inside the top three in qualifying (P3 behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris) after recovering from a shaky start to the weekend.
Then on Sunday, Verstappen converted pole into a commanding win. Leclerc, meanwhile, opted for a bold tyre strategy … he was the only driver in the top-15 to start on soft rubber, while most of the field went with mediums. That gamble paid off: Leclerc blasted past Norris into Turn 1, defended skilfully, then pitted for mediums on Lap 23 and held firm until the latter race laps. Norris eventually overtook Leclerc for P2, but the Monegasque settled for P3 and clinched the “Driver of the Day” award from fans.
Charles was a little bit worried when he saw that he was the only car on softs at the beginning … but he kind of knew that it was a bit of a risky move. So he is very happy overall because it has been a tough second part of the year.
A result that matters for Ferrari & Leclerc
For Ferrari, this P3 represents more than just a podium, it’s a signal of potential return to form. The team had endured a challenging stretch, with very few top-step finishes and growing speculation around leadership. An aggressive strategy, executed cleanly: that’s what Ferrari did this weekend.
For Leclerc, the margin of triumph lies in execution under pressure. The soft-tyre start was bold, perhaps even audacious, yet he made it count. Especially impressive was his defence against Norris: that fight was both physical and cerebral, and Leclerc held his nerve. Fans in Monaco watching him will have seen that flicker of the old Leclerc: combative, strategic, and calm under fire.
Podium Top 3
1st: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) with complete dominance from pole.
2nd: Lando Norris (McLaren)
3rd: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
So Leclerc has grabbed his first podium since Spa, and sixth of the season.
Hamilton is getting closer to a first Ferrari Grand PrixTM rostrum as well, with his fourth P4 finish of the season.
Drivers’ standings snapshot after Austin
In the Drivers Standings Norris is now 14 points behind Piastri. Verstappen is 40 points behind Piastri.
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) still holds the championship lead. Norris is closing in behind. Verstappen has now trimmed the gap significantly, reigniting his bid. Game on! It’s going to be a barn-burner of a fight to the end with these three.
For Leclerc, while in 5th place he isn’t in full title contention, this result matters: it re-establishes momentum, proves strategy sharpness, and underscores Ferrari’s capacity to execute.
What’s next
Let’s keep an eye on Ferrari’s follow-through: can they build from Austin and convert strong strategy into consistent podiums or better? Leclerc’s form in particular now matters if he can string together more top-3s.
The championship fight itself is heating up. Verstappen’s surge could rattle McLaren.
For Ferrari’s leadership and internal structure: results like this could quiet speculation. Leclerc hinted as much hoping this silences the speculation around the future of our team principal.
