F1 Weekend Awards: US GP

Kimi Raikkonen stole the headlines with his first win in Formula 1 for 5 years at The Circuit of the Americas yesterday. The Iceman broke Riccardo Patrese's record of the biggest gap between race victories, and at 39 years of age, becomes one of the oldest men to have stood on the top step of the podium. Who wins Sportskeeda's F1 Awards for the United States Grand Prix, though? Keep reading to find out!

Driver of the Weekend

There's no beating around the bush here, Kimi Raikkonen was always going to take this one home. Perhaps we're being sentimental, but the Iceman put in a sensational performance on Sunday. After qualifying third, Sebastian Vettel's penalty meant that Kimi would start on the front row at COTA, alongside champion-elect, Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis started on the mid-range supersoft tyres, a decision that Hamilton and Mercedes would later rue, as Raikkonen got much better purchase on his ultrasofts. Kimi launched his Ferrari into the lead and had an almost 2-second gap by the time the first lap had been completed.

Hamilton shadowed Raikkonen, it was clear that the defending champion was biding his time and keeping his tyres in good condition for when Kimi eventually pitted. However, thanks to a Virtual Safety Car, it was in fact Mercedes who pit Hamilton first for the hardest rubber available.

Lewis came out in P3 and immediately set about catching Raikkonen for the lead. Valtteri Bottas moved well out of his teammate's way and Lewis was soon on Kimi's gearbox. Despite his tyres almost being down to the carcass, Kimi kept his British rival behind before his stop, something that would be crucial later on.

Because of his early change to the soft tyres, Hamilton was struggling in the late stages and was forced to pit once more for new rubber. Raikkonen was now back in the lead, but he had both Max Verstappen and Hamilton bearing down on him. Kimi used all of his wealth of experience to place his car perfectly and his Ferrari power kept the Red Bull at bay on the straights.

Raikkonen would cross the line to become the most successful Finnish driver in the history of the sport (in terms of victories) and claim Finland's 50th win in F1. The most popular winner imaginable and it could be the last for The Iceman, as his move to Sauber next year likely won't yield many podiums.

Best Overtake

Max Verstappen's move on Sebastian Vettel was an incredible maneuver.

There was plenty of overtaking at COTA but Max Verstappen's move on Sebastian Vettel was the standout maneuver. The Red Bull driver started on the soft compound tyre (the hardest available) and predictably sliced his way through the field. After his pit-stop, he was behind Sebastian Vettel, after the German had spun on the first lap following a mistake involving Ricciardo.

Verstappen didn't have the straight-line speed to eclipse Vettel, but had superior grip thanks to his fresh Pirellis. The Dutchman was climbing all over the back of Vettel, but Sebastian was going defensive into the tight and twisty final sector. However, the lines that Seb had to take put his Ferrari out of position going into the 180 degrees Turns 17 and 18 and Max predictably kept his pedal to the metal.

They went side-by-side into the right-hander, and Verstappen swooped around the outside to take P3 at the same spot when he was cruelly penalised last year.

It was an incredible drive from the Dutchman, and you'll hear more about it later in the article...

Egg on Face Trophy

Grosjean is now just 2 penalty points away from a race ban after the USGP.

For the first time, this trophy is shared between two drivers.

Lance Stroll and Romain Grosjean both made fools of themselves on the first lap in the USA, resulting in numerous retirements. First up was Stroll, who bunny-hopped the curves during sector 1's S-section and plowed into the side of Fernando Alonso, causing the Spaniard's retirement. Stroll had to pit for repairs to his front wing and was handed a drive-through penalty, the least that the Canadian deserved for reckless driving like that.

Grosjean continued the carnage at the end of the back straight, as he out-braked himself behind Ocon and slammed into the back of Charles Leclerc, causing the Monegasque to spin and later retire from the damage caused. Romain would also retire, and after a stewards investigation, would later be slapped with a three-place grid penalty for the next race in Mexico.

Perhaps more concerning is the fact that the Frenchman is now just penalty points from a race ban. If he is to accumulate those extra points, he'll be the first to receive a race ban under this rule and the first since 2012, when Grosjean himself caused a pile-up in Spa. You can see why Alonso labelled some of his competitors as "amateurs" now...

Lazarus Award

Verstappen's drive from 18th to second thrilled the fans.

The Lazarus Award is given to the driver who has the best comeback in the weekend's race, in reference to the Biblical figure coming back from the dead. Brendon Hartley's drive from 20th to 9th (albeit with the help of disqualifications) was a superb effort, but this award can only go to one for his heroics.

Yes, it's Max Verstappen once more! The 21-year-old got to stand on the podium in Austin on the first occasion when he can legally drink alcohol in the United States. The weekend started horribly, though, as a suspension failure meant that Max wouldn't make it out of Q2 and started 18th after penalties had been applied.

In typical Verstappen style, though, Max wasted no time in getting through the midfield. The Dutchman pulled off overtake after overtake and, thanks to Ricciardo's retirement and Vettel's spin, found himself in fourth place with just 9 laps gone. He'd later jump Valtteri Bottas in the pit stop phase and close in to try and overtake Raikkonen in the closing laps.

Max even defended from Hamilton in the late stages to seal his second place, an excellent piece of defensive driving to push the Mercedes man wide in the long right-hander. Nobody would've seen this result coming before the race had started! And had it not been for Raikkonen winning the race, he probably would've taken home three out of four awards this weekend.

But who do you think deserves an award for their performance at COTA? Let us know in the comments below!