Dominant Red Bull and Verstappen, who started in sixth place and whose win was the first in Austin by a driver not on the front row, have already secured the constructors' and drivers' titles.
"The whole race, I was struggling a lot with the brakes," said Verstappen, who was booed by some of the crowd as he stood on the podium.
"I normally never really struggle with braking so far in my F1 career, but it was definitely a bit of a problem."
"Forecast P2, maybe the win," the 38-year-old was informed over the radio as he chased down the McLaren.
Alpine's Esteban Ocon was the first retirement, his race ending on lap seven after a first lap collision with McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
Persons:
Max Verstappen, Brian Snyder, Hamilton, Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Lando Norris, Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, McLaren, leapfrog Aston Martin, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, Red Bull's Sergio Perez, Leclerc, George Russell, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Aston, Lance, AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda, Perez, Alain Prost, Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel's, Alpine's Esteban Ocon, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Piastri, Aston Martins, Fernando Alonso, Haas, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg, Alan Baldwin, Ken Ferris
Organizations:
United, Prix, Mercedes, McLaren, AUSTIN, U.S, Bull, Circuit, DRS, Hamilton, Thomson
Locations:
United States, Americas, Austin , Texas, U.S, Austin, AUSTIN , Texas, Saudi Arabia, Alpine's, Mexico, London