Max Verstappen wins Austin Sprint, grows advantage over Lando Norris
Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool
Verstappen's victory in the 19-lap event earned him eight championship points, pushing his lead over Norris to 54 points ahead of Sunday's full-length Grand Prix.
Speaking after the race, Verstappen expressed his satisfaction: "It was not too bad, feels a bit like old times. I'm very happy with today, the whole race -- Ferrari was very quick but for us, finally we are racing again -- normally we are always looking back, but we had good pace."
Verstappen started from pole position and managed to stave off challenges from the Ferraris and Norris throughout the race. Starting fourth on the grid, Norris quickly moved up to second by Turn 2 but eventually lost the position to Carlos Sainz on the final lap. Norris reflected on his race, stating: "I'm happy with the race result and a good amount of points. There has been a few races where the starts were bad and today was good with a good first corner. I did the most I could, I didn't think I had the pace on Max or the Ferraris."
Verstappen finished the sprint race 3.8 seconds clear of Sainz, demonstrating a commanding pace from start to finish. The Ferraris tried to challenge but ultimately, were unable to mount a significant threat. Sainz, who charged from fifth on the grid to finish second, stated on his late move: "Towards the end I started to struggle with the tyres but I saw Lando also struggling. I saw that if I could get into DRS I would have my chance to finish in P2. And we made it stick into Turn 1 and the end was a fun one."
Charles Leclerc also made a push but couldn't overtake Norris for the final podium spot, highlighting the defensive skills of the McLaren driver.
Friday's Sprint Qualifying session set the stage for Saturday's race, with Verstappen clinching pole position in the final moments of SQ3. The sprint race maintained a high level of strategy and action, with all 20 cars starting on medium compounds, mixed between fresh and used tires.
From the onset, Verstappen controlled the pace, while Norris advanced to P2. However, Ferrari's strategy and Sainz's late-race charge proved decisive. Despite tangling with Leclerc earlier, Sainz climbed the ranks efficiently, adding excitement to the closing laps.
The sprint race concluded with Verstappen in first, Sainz in second, and Norris rounding out the podium in third. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, along with Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, completed the points-scoring positions.
As it stands, five races remain on the 2024 schedule after this weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix. Sunday’s main event promises full points for the top 10 finishers, making the championship battle even more thrilling.
This sprint win further solidifies Verstappen's dominance this season and sets the stage for an anticipated showdown in Sunday's Grand Prix. Fans and competitors alike are keenly awaiting to see if Verstappen can convert his sprint success into another grand prix victory.
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