Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole position for the sprint race at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Verstappen narrowly beat Mercedes driver George Russell by just 0.012 seconds, while McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fourth, further intensifying the battle between the title contenders.
Verstappen Extends His Lead
Verstappen, who currently leads the championship by 52 points, put in a stellar performance at the Circuit of the Americas. His time of 0.012 seconds ahead of Russell gave him the top spot, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc taking third, 0.226 seconds behind. Norris, trailing Verstappen by 0.250 seconds, will start fourth in the sprint race.
Tough Qualifying for Norris and McLaren
Lando Norris, who is pushing to close the gap on Verstappen, admitted to struggling with his car’s balance and setup throughout the day. “It wasn’t a great day, to be honest. P4 is decent, but the lap wasn’t good,” said Norris. With McLaren bringing upgrades to the race, the team had high hopes, but Norris downplayed their impact: “The car is where it deserves to be, and we’ll keep pushing.”
Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri, faced disappointment as his fastest lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. He will start the sprint race from 16th place.
Mercedes Shows Progress
Mercedes introduced a significant upgrade to their car, which appears to be paying off. George Russell’s strong performance earned him a spot on the front row, marking his best qualifying since the Belgian Grand Prix. “We pulled the lap together at the end. The car feels great with the upgrades,” Russell said.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who starts seventh, had to slow down due to a yellow flag caused by a spin from Williams driver Franco Colapinto. Hamilton, who was on pace for a faster lap, remarked, “I was 0.4 seconds up before the yellow flag. The car feels good with the upgrades, and tomorrow is another chance.”
Sprint Race Schedule
The sprint race, which awards eight points for the winner, will take place at 19:00 BST on Saturday. With only six races left in the season, every point matters as Verstappen looks to extend his lead while Norris aims to close the gap.
