Formula One: Max Verstappen wins US Grand Prix sprint race to extend lead over rival Norris
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished second, 3.882 seconds behind Verstappen, after passing Norris on the 19th and last lap at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the US Grand Prix sprint from pole position on Saturday to end an eight-race losing streak and extend his Formula One championship lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris to 54 points.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished second, 3.882 seconds behind Verstappen, after passing Norris on the 19th and last lap at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas when the Briton went too deep into turn one.
“It feels a bit like old times. I’m very happy with today. If you look at the whole race, Ferrari was also very quick,” said Verstappen, who also won last year’s sprint and Grand Prix at the Texas track.
“For us, finally we are racing again. Normally we are always looking back but now we can just do our own race, so we had good pace.”
The victory was Verstappen’s first of any sort since a sprint in Austria in June and meant the triple champion has now won all four 100 kilometres sprints so far this season with two more still to come.
Norris made a great start from fourth on the grid, seizing second place on the inside after passing Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into the first corner and holding on until the 19th lap.
