THE BIG PICTURE: This season keeps getting more and more intriguing as Verstappen just won't go away and McLaren is allowing him to stick around.

EVENT: Best. Trophies. Ever. And the sprint trophies were pretty cool as well.

TRACK: The bumps are returning. Might be due for yet another repave.

SPRINT SHOOTOUT: Verstappen starts the weekend by tightening the screws a little bit more on McLaren, Hulkenberg is the surprise of Saturday, Ferrari struggles, Williams shines, and Red Bull continues to make it hard for Tsunoda.

SPRINT: After the first lap contretemps, we end up with the identical podium as Baku. More importantly, Verstappen gains eight points on both his rivals.

SPRINT START: Hulkenberg takes his shocking starting position and winds up in the wrong spot at the wrong time as Piastri turns into him eventually taking out both McLarens while Alonso is also a victim, and Tsunoda goes from 18th to sixth.

QUALIFYING: Verstappen doesn't even need a final lap to get pole, Norris comes through in the clutch to get on the front row, Leclerc turns in a hot one, Russell continues the momentum, Piastri appeared lost the whole time, Bearman impresses again, and Albon takes a fast car and pushes it too hard.

RACE: Long, long lulls between some outstanding dicing. Ultimately, this race has set up the stretch run.

START: Norris gets off nicely, but is so focused on Verstappen, Leclerc on soft tires takes second away, Russell gets off slowly, allowing Hamilton and Piastri by, while Tsunoda gains three spots.

VERSTAPPEN: Talk about the cliché of having the eye of the tiger. Max can sense it. Everyone else should be worried when Verstappen has that mentality.

TSUNODA: Overall a strong weekend. But we just have the sense it's too little, too late.

RED BULL: Whether the best car or not, it's fast now. Everywhere. That floor change may have been the season changer.

NORRIS: Lando put in a very effective, calm race. Kept it clean fighting tooth and nail with Leclerc, twice. Handled the track limits possible penalty looming over his head for most of the race. Calmly backed out to cool his tires and then poured it on to grab second place.

PIASTRI: While the normally cool, calm, and collective Oscar has been folding lately. The false start at Baku, the subsequent impatience to make up for that mistake on the first lap, and the foolhardy move in the sprint to wipe out his team.

MCLAREN: As the inimitable Satchel Paige said, don't look back - something might be gaining on you.

LECLERC: Let's give Ferrari their due this time. Though Charles ended up in third place anyway, it was the correct strategy to use for him.

HAMILTON: Lewis has to be happy overall with the weekend.

HULKENBERG: Despite the Saturday incident which wasn't his fault at all, what a fantastic weekend for Nico.

BEARMAN: Another driver in an underdog car who did extremely well over the weekend.

SAINZ: What a lost opportunity for his team with that poor move.

ALBON: Alex has got to be getting frustrated missing out on opportunities lately.

ALPINE: If you were relevant, team orders and the consequences of breaking them would matter. But you're not.

F1 PRODUCTIONS: Interesting how there weren't any WAG cutaway shots this race.

WORD OF THE WEEKEND: Sweep.

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: 64 -- The number of points Verstappen has cut out of the championship lead in the last four races. He is now 40 points behind with five races and two sprints left. You do the math...

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Max Verstappen is now the winningest driver on American soil -- seven times (four in COTA, two in Miami, once in Las Vegas). He also won all three in 2023. Michael Schumacher (Indianapolis) and Lewis Hamilton (Austin) are the only drivers to win four consecutive USGPs. Mario Andretti is the only American winner at home, at Long Beach in 1977.

TWEET OF THE WEEKEND: From @CxmeronCc:

@Jamesallenonf1 : "Ross Brawn used to say of Michael Schumacher that he wins the races he should win and also those he shouldn't, and that's what makes him a great driver. I think we're looking at the same thing here with Max aren't we?" #F1

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: We usually don't include journalists' quotes, but we can't resist the epic smackdown Glenn Freeman of The-Race gave McLaren when initially Zak Brown blamed Nico Hulkenberg for the sprint first lap crash and then Andrea Stella doubled down on the blame: "Other drivers - whichever team they are racing for - have a right to be on track with your precious little Papaya princes."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Yuki Tsunoda on his performance after dragging Piastri's front wing for almost a lap, "It was a good recovery and result for driving with two front wings!"

SCHEDULE: A quick turnaround to the altitude of Mexico City. The home crowd only misses out on their local hero this one year.

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