The 6 BIGGEST Winners and Losers of the F1 United States Grand Prix

Matt Hylen
10 hours ago
5 min read

Round 19 of the 2025 Formula 1 season raised a lot of question marks, but also possibilities. With the Sprint being as crazy as it was and the race being dominated by Max Verstappen once again, a lot of discussion has been raised regarding whether or not this season will have a storybook ending. One thing is for certain, though, and that is the fact that there are some pretty big winners and some pretty big losers.

As for my bold predictions, go check out my previous article on that to see how I did!

So, before we get into those winners and losers, here are a few reminders and a look at how the standings look after the most recent race weekend:

Formula One has two main championship competitions. The first of the two Championships is the Drivers' Championship, which is a competition based on the drivers' individual performance. On a non-Sprint style weekend, the drivers who finish in the top 10 in each race will score points (the higher you place, the more points you get). These points are added up, and whichever driver finishes with the most points at the end of the season will win the Drivers' Championship.

The next is the Constructors' Championship, a competition between the teams. The number of points the drivers within a team get each race is combined, creating the total points for the team (e.g., Lando Norris has scored 314 points and Oscar Piastri has scored 336 points, giving the McLaren team 650 points in the Constructors' Championship). The team whose drivers accumulate the most points combined for their team will win the Constructors' Championship.

Note, 21 drivers will be listed within the Drivers' Championship Standings, as Franco Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan at Alpine.

Now, here is a look at the standings for both Championships:

Drivers' Championship Standings:

Oscar Piastri 346 points
Lando Norris 332 points
Max Verstappen 306 points
George Russell 252 points
Charles Leclerc 192 points
Lewis Hamilton 142 points
Andrea Kimi Antonelli 89 points
Alexander Albon 73 points
Nico Hülkenberg 41 points
Isack Hadjar 39 points
Carlos Sainz 38 points
Fernando Alonso 37 points
Lance Stroll 32 points
Liam Lawson 30 points
Esteban Ocon 28 points
Yuki Tsunoda 28 points
Pierre Gasly 20 points
Oliver Bearman 20 points
Gabriel Bortoleto 18 points
Franco Colapinto 0 points
Jack Doohan 0 points

Constructors' Championship Standings:

McLaren 678 points
Mercedes 341 points
Ferrari 334 points
Red Bull 331 points
Williams 111 points
VCARB 72 points
Aston Martin 69 points
Kick Sauber 59 points
Haas 48 points
Alpine 20 points

Standings were found at F1.com.

Winner: Yuki Tsunoda

Credit to Total Motorsport via totalmotorsport.com

I feel as though Yuki Tsunoda's performance this weekend has not been talked about enough. Did he look horrible in both qualifying sessions? Yes, but that is not where the points are scored. Yuki took full advantage of every opportunity that was presented to him. Not only did he make up 11 places in the sprint race after the Hulkenberg/McLaren incident, but he also made up another 6 in the main race on merit. Tsunoda was great when it mattered most, giving himself a weekend he desperately needed.

He, of course, still is not close to his teammate Max Verstappen's pace, but it was a great prove-it weekend for a driver who is fighting for his F1 seat.

Loser: Williams

In a track that was supposed to suit their car, the weekend started out great for Williams. They qualified well for the sprint and even got a podium, but what makes them losers of the weekend is everything that came after that. For the main race, Sainz qualified 9th with Albon starting in 18th; a huge step down from their pace in sprint qualifying. Not only that, but Sainz crashed into Antonelli (which got him a 5-place grid drop for the next race and 2 penalty points) while Albon did not come close to the points.

Again, given they got a podium in the sprint, this may seem a bit harsh. However, it is because of that sprint result that the main race result seems that much worse. They did not meet any sort of expectation when it mattered the most.

Winner: Nico Hulkenberg

In my eyes, the sprint crash between Nico Hülkenberg and the McLarens was a racing incident. All three drivers had a clear line around turn 1, with Nico and Oscar Piastri colliding in the middle. So, if you take the sprint crash out of the equation, this was a fantastic and unexpected weekend for Nico Hülkenberg. For a driver who has not seen any sort of success since Great Britain, I do not think anyone would have thought Hülkenberg would have qualified as high as 4th this weekend and finished in the points at any point. Nico had significant pace all weekend long, which translated when he was able to drive a full race. Great weekend for the Hulk this time around.

Loser: Alpine

I mean, what are we doing, Alpine?!

For those who are unfamiliar with what happened with Alpine this weekend, near the end of the Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto, on fresher tires, found himself behind his teammate, Pierre Gasly. With Gabriel Bortoleto gaining on both of them, Franco wanted to pass Gasly in order to secure the highest position for the team. Granted, it was for 17th, but that does not matter for this scenario. Alpine, knowing all of this, told Colapinto not to pass Gasly and hold his position. Franco ultimately got upset and passed Gasly (who ended up getting passed by Bortoleto) anyway.

In my eyes, this team order was atrociously ridiculous. If points were on the line, then sure, but it was a fight for 17th. Why are you giving team orders in the first place!? What is the point of keeping Colapinto, who is trying to prove himself worthy of your seat next year, behind Gasly just for Bortoleto to pass both of them anyway? I mean, Colapinto was right, Bortoleto was quicker than both of them. Colapinto's rebel move saved Alpine from finishing as the last two cars on the grid. This entire situation made zero sense to me and is a testament to the horrific season Alpine is having.

Winner: Max Verstappen/Fans' Championship Battle Hopes

Credit to Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen is not going away without a fight. I mean, talk about total domination. Max led every single lap in both races, while also securing both pole positions by a significant margin. He is taking full advantage of this McLaren crumbling, causing me to believe that he has a legitimate chance to catch both McLaren drivers. With the car getting better and better, I would not be surprised if this season comes down to Abu Dhabi.

Loser: Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri is crumbling right now. Since his horrific weekend in Azerbaijan, which was one of the worst weekends by a championship leader possibly ever, he has not looked the same. His confidence is shot, he seems confused about what he can and cannot do in a race, and his cool persona seems to have disappeared. Piastri is far too talented to maintain this form for the rest of the year, but I would be extremely concerned if I were him. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have gained on Oscar significantly compared to even a couple of races ago. Oscar needs to find himself again and fast, before the predators find their prey.