USA Grand Prix: Verstappen snatches sprint pole in Austin thriller

AUSTIN: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole position for the sprint race at the United States Grand Prix with a stunning final lap in Austin, edging out McLaren’s Lando Norris by just 0.071 seconds. Oscar Piastri, second in the championship standings, was 0.309s adrift in third as Verstappen continued his late-season surge in form.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg produced the surprise of the day by qualifying fourth — his team’s best result of the year — ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Williams’ Carlos Sainz was seventh, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton eighth, followed by Alex Albon and Charles Leclerc completing the top ten.

Verstappen, who trails championship leader Piastri by 63 points, has won two of the last three races and finished second in the other. “It was a nice qualifying; quite close throughout,” he said. “The wind and bumps make it tricky, but that’s what makes it exciting.”

The sprint race is scheduled for Saturday evening, followed by qualifying for Sunday’s main race later that night.

Norris 'disappointed' and Piastri 'scruffy'

Norris admitted frustration after narrowly missing out on pole. “Disappointed not to be on top, but it’s not a surprise — we’ve just been a bit slower than Red Bull lately,” he said. “A couple of bumps and small mistakes cost me, but overall I’m happy.”

Piastri, meanwhile, conceded that his lap was below par. “Pretty scruffy — didn’t really get it together,” he said. “I feel lucky to be third. The pace is there; I just need a cleaner run tomorrow.”

Hulkenberg’s performance was the standout of the session — the German’s first top-10 qualifying this season and Sauber’s best grid slot since August. “P1 looked too good to be true,” he said. “But the pace was real. The car just hit the sweet spot.”

Alonso’s sixth place marked Aston Martin’s strongest grid since Hungary. “Very happy — P6 is one of our best this year,” the Spaniard said. “We’ve got Ferraris and Williams behind us, and we’ll try to keep them there.”

Ferrari endured another tough outing, with Hamilton and Leclerc both struggling for pace. “Not what we expected,” said Hamilton. Leclerc added, “A poor day — others have found something we clearly haven’t.”