Austin
Max Verstappen delivered a commanding performance, converting his pole position into a dominant victory at the United States Grand Prix Sprint Race. The Dutch driver took the checkered flag ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen led all three sessions in the Shootout and won from pole in the 100-kilometer sprint race. He maintained his lead over Leclerc at the start and then extended a nine-second gap over Hamilton to secure his third Sprint race win of the season on Saturday. Despite his pole lap in qualifying being invalidated for exceeding track limits, Verstappen remains focused on securing another victory and will start from the sixth position on Sunday. Although Verstappen faced pressure from his 2021 title rival Hamilton early in the Sprint, he managed the situation well. He even mentioned experiencing some engine and driveability issues, but he asserted that it was all under control. Verstappen explained, It was always like eight, nine tenths for a few laps, but that was all controlled into the braking zone. The DRS, with such large wings on this track, is quite powerful. Once I cleared the DRS, we all settled into our own rhythms, and I think the pace of the car was very good today. Hamilton overtook Leclerc at the start and maintained proximity to Verstappen early on but ultimately settled for second place. Leclerc successfully held off Lando Norris to secure the final spot on the podium. Verstappen’s victory marked his sixth Sprint race win in 11 events and also secured the unofficial ‘Sprint Championship’ for the season. This win was his second start-to-finish triumph in a Sprint race this year, following his earlier victory at the Red Bull Ring. In 2023, Verstappen has led five Grand Prix races from start to finish.
