F1 LIVE | Follow the Sprint Race during the United States GP weekend
Live
Formula 1 is back after a three-week break, and it's time for the Sprint Race in America! F1 takes on the Circuit of the Americas this weekend in Austin, Texas. Max Verstappen will lead the drivers away, with his title rival Lando Norris down in fourth. George Russell lines up alongside Verstappen on the front row, with Charles Leclerc P3. Lewis Hamilton starts down in seventh. Who will win the sprint race around COTA? Follow along with our live blog below!
Sprint Race Live | United States Grand Prix
What has happened so far this weekend?
The weekend started off with controversy surrounding Red Bull Racing. However, they have been cleared despite McLaren CEO Zak Brown demanding clarification from the FIA. It was a Ferrari 1-2 in the one and only practice session on Friday, with Carlos Sainz leading Leclerc. However, it was Verstappen who took pole position for the sprint, beating George Russell by just 12 thousandths of a second! Oscar Piastri and Norris struggled, with Piastri knocked out in SQ1 after losing his lap to track limits, so he will line up in P16.
The Red Bull Racing team's updates seemed to work from the off, with Verstappen managing to secure pole position for the sprint race. Despite this, his teammate Sergio Perez was knocked out in SQ2 and will start from 11th. Helmut Marko thought Ferrari would be the biggest challenger to Red Bull this weekend, but Leclerc could only manage third with Carlos Sainz in fifth.
The McLarens had a sprint qualifying to forget, however. Lando Norris, Verstappen's title rival, has to make do with fourth place, whilst Oscar Piastri lost his time in SQ1 and will start down in 16th. After replacing Daniel Ricciardo at Visa CashApp RB, Liam Lawson finished P15 in his first qualifying session of the season.
How do both standings look?
McLaren has a 41-point lead over Red Bull Racing in the constructor's championship, whilst Lando Norris trails Max Verstappen by 52 points.