Max Verstappen led every lap of Saturday’s Formula 1 sprint race ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
The 2023 Formula 1 champion started on pole and easily kept the lead through Turn 1 as Lewis Hamilton got past Charles Leclerc for second. Hamilton stayed with Verstappen for a handful of laps before Verstappen dropped him as the 19-lap race went on.
Hamilton finished a comfortable second while Leclerc was third. The victory is Verstappen’s third sprint win of the season. Sprint races award points to the top eight finishers with the winner getting eight points and eighth-place receiving one point.
While Saturday’s win was fairly academic, a win on Sunday will require a bit more work for Verstappen. He starts the Grand Prix in sixth after his final lap of qualifying was deleted. That lap would have put Verstappen on pole, but he instead starts on the third row as Leclerc and Lando Norris will start on the front row.
A significant reason for Red Bull’s pace advantage in 2023 has been the car’s ability to not heavily wear out its tires. That could loom large on Sunday at a Circuit of the Americas track that eats up tire life and Verstappen pulled away from Hamilton and the rest of the field over the second half of the sprint. The winning margin ended up being almost 10 seconds by the time the checkered flag flew.
Teams are not expected to use the soft compound tires at all unless there’s a short run to the finish after a safety car period. All but one car started the sprint race on medium tires because of the soft tire’s durability.
Sergio Perez finished fifth in the sprint race as Hamilton further cut into Perez’s cushion. With Verstappen already having the title locked up, the biggest points fight over the remaining races is for second. Perez enters Sunday’s race with a 27-point advantage over Hamilton.
USGP sprint race results
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4. Lando Norris, McLaren
5. Sergio Perez, Red Bull
6. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
7. Pierre Gasly, Alpine
8. George Russell, Mercedes
9. Alex Albon, Williams
10. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
11. Esteban Ocon, Alpine
12. Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri
13. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
14. Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
15. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
16. Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
17. Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo
18. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
19. Logan Sergeant, Williams
20. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
