Charles Leclerc wasn’t ready to give up his position easily in the United States Grand Prix on Sunday. He defended his position not only against McLaren's Lando Norris but also against his teammate Lewis Hamilton.The Ferrari driver started on C4 soft tires while the rest of the frontrunners were on mediums. For most of the opening stint, Leclerc was in a tight battle with Norris, who chased the Ferrari for 21 laps before finally overtaking it. Leclerc's soft tires were nearing their limit.Two laps later, Hamilton’s No. 44 SF-25 was within striking distance. What could have been a routine overtake turned into another defensive showcase from Leclerc, who positioned himself to protect the line. The battle lasted less than a lap, as the Monegasque driver pitted for mediums on Lap 24.When asked about the duel after the race, he said (via Gazzetta Ferrari):“I didn’t know they would’ve pitted me on that lap. In the end, I do my race and I try to defend my position.”The quote reflected both his confusion over Ferrari’s strategy and his instinct to race hard, no matter the circumstances.Lewis Hamilton, when asked about the exchange, offered little drama in his response.“Charles’ defense against me? It’s a race,” said the seven-time champion.This was not the first close run between them this weekend. In Saturday’s Sprint, the pair ran wheel-to-wheel. Hamilton surpassed him on Lap 9 of the Sprint and finished ahead.On Sunday, the script flipped as Charles Leclerc came out on top. He finished P3, with Hamilton crossing in P4. It was the sixth podium of the season for Ferrari, after they had gone five races without a podium.Charles Leclerc reveals tensions on race strategy: "I was a little bit worried"Charles Leclerc (16) before the United States Grand Prix. Source: GettyFor all the debate about Ferrari’s tactics in Austin, Charles Leclerc’s driving in the United States Grand Prix was given quiet respect in the paddock. The Monegasque didn’t have the pace advantage all weekend.Leclerc was 20th in FP1, 2.786s off Lando Norris' best time. He qualified P10 in the Sprint and ended the event in P10 after suffering damage on Lap 1 melee. But he turned it around in qualifying, staying P4 in Q1, P2 in Q2, and eventually starting P3 on the grid.After the race, he spoke about being the only driver on softs in the top 15. He said (via F1):"I was a little bit worried when I saw that I was the only car on softs at the beginning, but I kind of knew that it was a bit of a risky move. What I had in mind was to use the softs to try to get free air – it was quite optimistic because we had two cars in front, but that’s what we tried to do."The optimism worked as he held off Norris for 38 of the 57 laps on Sunday. The McLaren driver came back from the pits on Lap 33 with softs and chased down Charles Leclerc on mediums with five laps to go.Norris finished P2, as Max Verstappen led from pole to flag for the third time in four races and closed the gap at the top. Oscar Piastri leaves COTA at the top of the driver standings with 346 points, with Norris on 332 and Verstappen on 306.Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was left questioning his 13-second difference with Leclerc.