Austin, Texas – Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Sprint race at the United States Grand Prix, edging out a strong challenge from the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. In a thrilling Sprint Qualifying session held at the Circuit of the Americas, Verstappen delivered a stunning final lap to snatch the top spot from Norris by a mere 0.071 seconds. Piastri, who leads the championship standings, will start third, just over three-tenths of a second behind Verstappen.
The Sprint Qualifying was a closely contested affair, with Norris initially setting the pace in SQ1 and SQ2. The Briton looked poised to continue his dominance in SQ3, but Verstappen unleashed a blistering lap of 1m 32.143s in the dying moments to secure his tenth sprint pole. This marks Verstappen's third consecutive sprint pole at the Circuit of the Americas.
"It's been a nice qualifying," Verstappen said. "Throughout all the segments we were quite close, just about trying to put it all together when it matters at the end, which is not easy because you go to the soft compound with no reference really". He added that he expects a tough battle in the Sprint race and is excited for the challenge.
Norris, while admitting his desire for pole position, acknowledged Red Bull's recent pace advantage. "Of course would have loved to be on pole, but not a surprise for us to be just a bit slower than the Red Bull lately, so still pretty happy," said Norris.
Nico Hulkenberg delivered a remarkable performance, securing fourth place for Sauber. George Russell of Mercedes rounded out the top five. Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin will start sixth, followed by Carlos Sainz of Williams in seventh.
The Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc faced a challenging session, qualifying in eighth and tenth, respectively. Alexander Albon in the other Williams will start ninth.
The Sprint race offers a crucial opportunity for Verstappen to close the gap on Piastri in the championship standings. Piastri currently holds a 22-point lead over Norris and a 63-point lead over Verstappen. With eight points awarded to the winner of the Sprint, Verstappen will be aiming for maximum points to intensify the title fight.
Red Bull's team boss, Laurent Mekies, praised Verstappen's exceptional ability to outperform his car and expressed confidence in their ability to compete for victories in the remaining races.
The United States Grand Prix Sprint race promises an exciting showdown between Verstappen and the McLaren drivers, with crucial championship points at stake. The race is scheduled for [Insert Time] on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
