Charles Leclerc told how he ‘cost’ himself United States GP win as Ferrari driver was ‘fast enough’

Former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer stated that Charles Leclerc was fast enough to win the 2026 United States Grand Prix but cost himself victory through on-track battles. Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the race at the Circuit of the Americas by 13.078 seconds over Leclerc, securing his ninth victory of the season after building an early lead during Leclerc's fights with Max Verstappen.

Leclerc ran a two-stop strategy with stops on Laps 15 and 39, while Antonelli executed a successful one-stop race. Time lost battling Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris, combined with early battery usage, left Leclerc unable to bridge the gap despite displaying superior pace on the hard compound tires late in the race.