Verstappen wins U.S. Grand Prix sprint

In the sprint at the United States Grand Prix, Max Verstappen converted pole position into a solid victory over the 19 laps. Although Lando Norris pressured him in the opening laps, Verstappen managed to hold onto the lead after the initial laps, pulling away from the British driver.

Norris stayed within DRS range during the initial laps, but as the race progressed, Verstappen's pace allowed him to open a gap of over one second, neutralizing the McLaren threat. With this, Verstappen secured his first win since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, maintaining control of his Red Bull until the end.

Sainz overtakes Norris for second place

Carlos Sainz made a decisive pass on Lando Norris in the final lap, securing second place. The Ferrari driver had gained ground after passing his teammate Charles Leclerc, and then took advantage of Norris's tire degradation. On the uphill approach to Turn 1 on the final lap, Sainz seized the moment to make a clean pass, dropping Norris to third.

Norris, although he resisted as much as possible, nearly lost the podium in an incident with Leclerc on the final lap. The Ferrari driver surprised him with a late braking into Turn 15, which will be reviewed by the stewards due to potential erratic driving.

Russell and Hamilton struggle to keep pace

George Russell, who seemed poised to fight for a podium, was affected by tire wear, dropping to fifth. Lewis Hamilton, for his part, couldn't capitalize on his strategy and finished sixth, unable to challenge those ahead due to rear tire degradation, which hurt the Mercedes's performance in the final laps.

Magnussen and Hulkenberg secure points

Kevin Magnussen was one of the biggest gainers during the sprint, finishing seventh after holding off pressure from his teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Despite a team order to let Yuki Tsunoda repass, Magnussen chose to keep his position, arguing that the Red Bull driver had pushed him off the track.

Ultimately, Tsunoda couldn't stay in the top 10, being passed by Sergio Pérez and Oscar Piastri in the final stages of the race. Piastri, although penalized for an incident with Pierre Gasly, managed to hold on to tenth place.