Red Bull’s Verstappen Takes Pole for US Sprint, Edges Russell

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen grabbed pole for the sprint race at the United States Grand Prix, edging Mercedes’ George Russell by just 0.012 seconds. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc followed in third, 0.226 seconds behind Verstappen while McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fourth, 0.250 seconds off the pace. Verstappen leading Norris by 52 points in the championship expressed satisfaction with his car’s performance.

He noted it had been a while since his last pole in July. Meanwhile, Norris voiced frustration with his car’s balance and set-up, admitting his fourth-place start could have been worse but calling his lap “shocking.” Mercedes showed strong potential with their latest car upgrades. Russell celebrated his return to the front row after a challenging session, crediting his strong final sector for the result.

However, Lewis Hamilton encountered bad luck when yellow flags caused by Williams’ Franco Colapinto spinning, slowed him down. Hamilton believed the incident cost him pole, as he had been 0.4 seconds ahead on his lap, but remained optimistic about the car’s improvements and his chances in the race. Oscar Piastri struggled as McLaren deleted his lap time for exceeding track limits, forcing him to start 16th.

Sergio Perez knocked out in the second session will start 11th. Norris aims to close an average of nine points per race to catch Red Bull’s Verstappen in the title race. He views this result as a setback, especially with both Red Bull and McLaren introducing upgrades this weekend. The sprint race offering eight points for a win begins on Saturday at 19:00 BST.