Texas (USA), Oct 24 (IANS): After winning the constructors' championship in Texas, an emotional Max Verstappen dedicated it to late Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, whose death was announced on Saturday.
Red Bull secured their fifth-ever constructors' championship, with the Dutchman taking a record-equalling 13th win of the season.
Verstappen snatched the lead from pole-sitter Carlos Sainz going into Turn 1, where George Russell made contact with Sainz and caused him to retire from the race. Verstappen seemed to have control of the race despite a brace of Safety Cars punctuating the United States Grand Prix, but a slow 11-second pit stop cost the Dutchman and gave Lewis Hamilton the lead.
After passing Charles Leclerc and then, with six laps remaining, overtaking Hamilton for the lead, Verstappen dedicated the victory, and the team's first constructors' title since 2013, to late Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, whose death was announced on Saturday.
"It was not made easy for us but in the end of the course, extremely happy to win in this difficult weekend for us. I think this was actually a race that he (Mateschitz) would have loved to see," said Verstappen.
"Of course I'm sad, but I'm also incredibly proud of the whole team of the way they've operated the whole weekend -- apart from the pit stop, but that was a gun failure and these things can unfortunately happen. But we kept it together and we won also the constructors' (title), so I'm very proud of everyone," he said.
"Also, the people who don't even come to the track, back at the factory, the effort they put into the car this year has been enormous and I'm very proud of everyone to secure this."
Before joining team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko on the podium, Verstappen said: "But we gave it everything out there today. Of course, it's a very difficult weekend for us, so this one is definitely dedicated to Dietrich himself.
"What he has done for everyone, the only thing we could do today was a win and even though after the pit stop it was not looking great, I gave it everything out there and pushed it to the limit to come back."