Max Verstappen fought back from a slow pitstop to win the US Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday as his Red Bull team clinched the Formula 1 constructors’ title a day after the death of billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

The title, clinched with three races to spare, ended an eight-year streak by Mercedes who have yet to win a race this season.

Their seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton looked like he might do it, leading with 15 laps to go but ending up second at the Circuit of the Americas after being reeled in by Verstappen.

“That one was for Dietrich,” said Verstappen after taking the chequered flag.

The title was Red Bull’s first since 2013 when they completed a fourth successive title double with Germany’s Sebastian Vettel at the end of the sport’s V8 era.

Ferrari had needed to score 19 points more than Red Bull at the Texas track, but Charles Leclerc was the Italian team’s sole finisher, fighting his way to third from 12th on the grid.

Teammate Carlos Sainz, who started in pole position, retired with a damaged car after a first-lap collision with Mercedes’s George Russell.

Red Bull now have an unbeatable 656 points to Ferrari’s 469.

Verstappen’s win was his 13th of the season, equalling the Formula 1 record held jointly with Ferrari great Michael Schumacher and Vettel, and the 33rd of his career and second in a row in Texas.

(L-R) Second placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes, Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko and third placed Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari celebrate on the podium following the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas on October 23, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

The Dutch 25-year-old secured his second title in Japan two weeks ago.

“Max Verstappen you are world champion, we are world champions, thank you so much,” team boss Christian Horner told him over the team radio after Red Bull’s eighth win in a row and 15th in 19 races.

“And thank you Dietrich Mateschitz for everything that you have done for us, for this team. These championships are for you,” he added.

Long pit stop

Verstappen seized the lead into the first corner and was in control when he made his second stop to switch from hard to medium tyres on the 36th of 56 scheduled laps.

The stop lasted an agonising 11.1 seconds with the front left wheel not tightening and mechanics scrambling for another wheel gun.

He returned to the track in sixth place, jumped by Leclerc who had also pitted and with Hamilton effectively leading in fourth since the three ahead of the Briton had yet to pit.

“Beautiful,” said Verstappen sarcastically over the radio.

He then set about reducing the gap with determination, passing Leclerc after a brief joust and hitting the front again six laps from the finish to cross the line 5.023 seconds clear of Hamilton.

“It was a tough one…I had to fight my way forward again. We gave it everything out there today,” said the champion.

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Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was fourth with Russell, who took the fastest lap, fifth and Lando Norris sixth for McLaren.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso finished seventh for Renault-owned Alpine but, following an appeal by Haas, was handed a 30-second post-race penalty and dropped to 15th.

Haas objected to the Spaniard being allowed to race with an unsafe car after his side mirror flapped around and finally flew off.

Alonso had damaged his car in a collision with future Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll, an incident that brought out the safety car for the second time. Stroll was handed a three-place grid drop for the next race in Mexico.

The first safety car was triggered by Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas crashing on lap 18.

Alonso’s demotion lifted Vettel, who had led briefly and also suffered a long pitstop, to seventh for Aston Martin. Haas’s Kevin Magnussen moved up to eighth, Yuki Tsunoda ninth for Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri and Esteban Ocon 10th for Alpine.

George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W13 leads Lance Stroll of Canada driving the (18) Aston Martin AMR22 Mercedes and Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas on October 23, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo : Chris Graythen /Getty Images)

‘Special’

Horner said winning the Formula 1 constructors’ title had a special significance because of the tough times the team had been through since their previous success.

The team clinched their fifth constructors’ title. “It means even more (than previous ones) because we’ve had the tough years. We’ve had to keep picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves, coming back and coming back,” Horner told Sky Sports television.

“And we’ve done that. So, the hard work and the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this, this one just means the world to us.”

Red Bull entered the sport in 2005 and, with top designer Adrian Newey on board, took four successive drivers’ and constructors’ titles with Germany’s Sebastian Vettel from 2010-13.

Then the rules changed, with a V6 turbo hybrid engine replacing the much simpler and fuel-thirsty V8s, and Mercedes made big gains while Red Bull’s then-partners Renault struggled.

While Verstappen won his first drivers’ title last year, Mercedes kept their constructors’ crown.

This year, with another rules rewrite, there has been no contest. Red Bull have racked up 15 wins in 19 races with three to come.

“Credit to Red Bull, they’ve done a mega job all year,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. “Max was really strong so them winning the constructors’ championship today is what they deserve.”

Mateschitz, founder of the Red Bull energy drink company, was a reclusive but passionate supporter of his teams in various sporting arenas and a long-standing fan of Formula 1.

Horner was sure Mateschitz would have been proud of the way in which Verstappen won, fighting back from a long pitstop to overtake his rivals and trigger the celebrations.

“We will celebrate as a team in true Red Bull fashion. We’re going large,” he added. Reuters/DM