Max Verstappen has claimed victory in the Austin Sprint race after getting his first pole position since the Austrian GP. The Dutchman has a 54-point lead over rival Lando Norris in the championship standings following the Sprint win.
After a close qualifying session, Norris came fourth whilst Verstappen beat George Russell to pole by 0.012 seconds. Norris improved his position and took second during the first lap of the Sprint Race, overtaking both Russell and Leclerc. The Mclaren was no match for the Red Bull though, with Verstappen making an excellent start off the line.
Behind, Russell struggled to keep a podium position after originally starting second on the grid. The two Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz were quick to challenge the Mercedes. The two Prancing Horses were eager to challenge each other, with both drivers battling for top positions throughout the race.
On the final lap, Norris locked up, allowing Sainz to capitalise on the mistake and claim second place. Leclerc was close to overtaking the Brit as well, but Norris managed to hold him off to the chequered flag.
This didn’t come easily, however, with Leclerc accusing him of moving under braking – which almost caused him to crash into Norris in the chase. Following an investigation into the matter, the FIA determined that Norris did not need to be penalised for the incident.
Both Mclarens struggle to improve at Austin Sprint
Further back in the field, Norris’ teammate Piastri also struggled towards the end of the Austin Sprint. After a difficult qualifying, where Piastri saw his lap time deleted and was demoted to P16, he had a lot of work to do in the race.
The Australian was able to make a positive start but ultimately earned a five-second time penalty after he forced Pierre Gasly off the track in the beginning stages of the race. The penalty meant that he ended up finishing in tenth place.
Max’s title lead post-summer break 👀
🇳🇱 70 points
🇮🇹 62
🇦🇿 59
🇸🇬 52
🇺🇸 54 (after #F1Sprint)#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/E5PqI7eDu2— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2024
As a result of only gaining six championship points across the Sprint in total, Mclaren now finds themselves with only a 39-point difference between themselves and Red Bull in the Constructors Championship.
The Feature Race promises to be an exciting watch, with Verstappen and Norris both looking to continue their good form in their fight for the Drivers Championship.
