Red Bull Racing's Dutch operator Max Verstappen celebrates winning the United States Formula One Sprint astatine the Circuit of the Americas successful Austin, Texas, connected October 19, 2024. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Angela Weiss | Afp | Getty Images
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the United States Grand Prix sprint contention Saturday to gain his archetypal triumph of immoderate benignant successful astir 5 months and support McLaren's Lando Norris from chipping distant astatine his pb successful the Formula 1 play championship.
Norris kept Verstappen successful show for 18 of 19 laps astatine the Circuit of the Americas aft helium launched from 4th to 2nd retired of the contention start. But Norris made a costly mistake successful the archetypal crook of the last thigh that allowed Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to gaffe into second.
Finishing 3rd alternatively of 2nd outgo Norris a captious constituent successful the rubric chase. He present trails Verstappen by 54 points with six expansive prix and 2 sprint races near successful the season.
Verstappen is chasing his 4th consecutive title. He started Saturday from rod presumption and was ne'er threatened for the lead. He won with a astir four-second gap.
"Feels a spot similar aged times," Verstappen said.
Qualifying for Sunday's main lawsuit was aboriginal Saturday. Verstappen has won the U.S. Grand Prix the past 3 years but has not started the contention from rod presumption since 2021.
The sprint triumph should renew Red Bull's assurance it has improved a car that Verstappen has alternately called "undrivable" and "a monster" astatine clip this season.
Formula 1 returned from a four-week autumn interruption this week with Norris steadily chasing down Verstappen successful the drivers' championship.
The once-dominant Verstappen had not scored a triumph of immoderate benignant since the Austrian Grand Prix sprint contention backmost successful June, and his past triumph successful a expansive prix came a week earlier successful Spain.
Norris has 2 wins and 3 different podium finishes successful that span to adjacent the spread connected Verstappen, and McLaren has overhauled Red Bull successful the constructor's championship.
Norris suggested it volition beryllium pugnacious for him to contention with Verstappen and Ferraris connected Sunday.
"I did the champion I could," Norris said aft the sprint race. "I didn't deliberation we had the gait connected Max and the Ferraris."
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