F1 next heads to Austin as the Circuit of the Americas hosts the United States Grand Prix - and the fourth sprint weekend of the 2025 season.
McLaren title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris clashed last time out in Singapore, with the Australian upset after his teammate’s lap one overtake involved contact between the two cars. Norris finished third, a spot ahead of Piastri, and narrowed the deficit in the world championship to 22 points with six rounds to go. McLaren have since stated that Norris faces “repercussions” following the incident.
Max Verstappen finished second in Singapore and is 63 points off Piastri in the title race, while George Russell claimed his second victory of the season in the city-state. The British driver, alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli, extended his contract with Mercedes on Wednesday.
As for Ferrari, it was another difficult weekend in Singapore as Lewis Hamilton still searches for his first podium of the season. Charles Leclerc won last year’s race in Austin, as the Scuderia claimed a one-two finish.
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F1 title race storm as Piastri says there will be ‘consequences’ for Norris over Singapore collision
F1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Round 19 of the 2025 season takes place in Austin, Texas
- Qualifying starts at 10pm (BST)
- Max Verstappen wins the sprint; Russell 2nd; Sainz 3rd
- CRASH! Norris and Piastri out on lap one of 19-lap sprint
- READ: Inside George Russell's new £30m-a-year Mercedes contract
What time does qualifying start?
19:39
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Kieran Jackson
Qualifying for the US Grand Prix is at 10pm (BST).
WATCH: Norris and Piastri crash out
19:40
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Kieran Jackson
The moment Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri CRASHED OUT of the US GP Sprint on the first corner! pic.twitter.com/pxnfKoas5Q
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 18, 2025
Christian Horner ‘played a character’ at Red Bull, claims Susie Wolff
21:20
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Kieran Jackson
Susie Wolff has suggested that Christian Horner “played a character very well” during his time running the Red Bull team and that the allegations surrounding him were “a real shame” for F1.
Horner was relieved of his duties as Red Bull F1 team principal back in July after 20 years and 14 world titles at the team he built from the bottom up.
He officially left last month, having received an £80m pay-off, and Laurent Mekies was installed as his replacement as both chief executive and team principal.
Full quotes below:
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff:
21:10
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Kieran Jackson
On attempts to sign Verstappen: “There wasn’t any ‘on purpose’ flirting, it’s clear we needed to have the conversation - we ended up in the same place in the summer, it was destabilising for everyone, but we move on now and everything is sorted.
On 2026: “I’m so happy that these cars that we finally get rid of them, we go back to something that is hopefully easier to understand - I’m happy we’re changing.”
On Russell/Verstappen in 2027: “Certainly good entertainment for everyone! But we don’t want to create any rumours, and it’s a good line-up.”
SPECIAL REPORT: How Palestine’s ‘Speed Sisters’ allowed girls to dream in the face of war
21:00
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Kieran Jackson
By Kieran Jackson
Pondering the start of a remarkable journey, Palestinian aid worker Maysoon Jayyusi remembers the moment vividly. “I had to drive fast to avoid getting hit,” she says, matter-of-factly. “Young people and soldiers fired tear gas and threw stones at us.
“It was simple: I started driving fast to avoid getting caught.”
Full piece below:
READ: Inside George Russell’s new Mercedes deal – and why Brit is now poised for F1 title charge
20:45
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Kieran Jackson
By Kieran Jackson
For all the column inches and social media conjecture throughout most of this year’s Formula One season, George Russell has seldom looked rattled at the myriad of questions thrown his way. Week after week, with a smile and an eyebrow arched, the 27-year-old has repeatedly knocked back suggestions of a shock exit from Mercedes despite the 2025 season, and his original deal, just six rounds from a conclusion.
Yet there was no rush. Once Max Verstappen had committed to Red Bull for next season, officially back in July, it was simply a formality, and now both Russell and 19-year-old Italian teammate Kimi Antonelli have penned fresh terms with Mercedes.
Full piece below:
SPRINT RACE REPORT:
20:30
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Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided with each other on the first lap again as the title rivals were both dumped out of the United States sprint.
The build-up to the weekend has been dominated by the “consequences” imposed by McLaren on Norris after the team held him responsible for banging wheels with Piastri in Singapore a fortnight ago.
That minor tap paled into insignificance compared to the carnage at turn one of Saturday’s sprint in Austin as Norris was left with only three tyres on his car.
Full piece below:
Charles Leclerc, who finished fifth:
20:15
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Kieran Jackson
“The feeling was much better today. I did a big mistake and almost ended up in the wall in turn five. Starting from P10, without the thing at the start, it would have been very difficult. We need to focus on qualifying and do a better job.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella:
20:00
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Kieran Jackson
“We are disappointed we didn’t get the chance to race. It’s surprising that some drivers with experience don’t act with prudence. Overall, disappointed, we take it on the chin, there’s a lot to do and we restart the weekend from there.
“We have lost eight points with both drivers, we know if we can race normally, we have a competitive car, the scores will take care of themselves. We look forward to some normal racing.”
Lewis Hamilton, after finishing fourth;
19:50
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Kieran Jackson
“The pace was decent, it felt a bit better in race trim than it did in qualifying. Managed to avoid the drama at turn one, I didn’t position my car particularly well, left the door open to Charles.
“Shame I couldn’t get close enough to get into the top-three but hoping for a better qualifying today, fingers crossed.”
Oscar Piastri after crashing out on the sprint:
19:31
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Kieran Jackson
“I had a pretty good start, I tried to cut back and got hit - not a great way to start the day, but I need to have another look.”
Carlos Sainz after finishing third:
19:20
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Kieran Jackson
“We definitely had a solid race, solid pace, Ferraris were quick behind. We’re getting a bit more lucky but things have stopped happening to us, I’ve had this pace all year! Things are running a lot smoother, things are clicking. The car was great.”
Huge cheers for Sainz as he takes to the microphone.
George Russell on his attempted overtake:
19:10
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Kieran Jackson
“I knew you don’t get many opportunities with Max, sent it, glad I gave it a go. P2 was better than we could have expected.
Max Verstappen after his sprint win:
18:59
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Kieran Jackson
“We won which is most important, I do think we need to be a bit better in race trim to fight the McLarens.
“We have some ideas what we can do, hopefully we can stick a bit better tomorrow.”
Top-8 in the sprint race:
18:46
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Kieran Jackson
1) Max Verstappen
2) George Russell
3) Carlos Sainz
4) Lewis Hamilton
5) Charles Leclerc
6) Alex Albon
7) Yuki Tsunoda
8) Kimi Antonelli
Wolff and Verstappen on radio:
18:45
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Kieran Jackson
Wolff: “George that was a good send.”
Russell: “Yeah I knew that was the only chance, I had to try it.”
Brave move, but didn’t quite pay off. Still a solid second place for the Brit, from fifth on the grid.
Max Verstappen wins US GP sprint race!
18:41
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Kieran Jackson
Away from all the drama, Max Verstappen keeps his cool and wins the sprint race in Austin!
A crucial eight points in the world championship - and he’s narrowed the gap to Oscar Piastri to 55 points. For his title charge, a perfect morning!
George Russell takes second, with Carlos Sainz in third.
4-8: Hamilton, Leclerc, Albon, Tsunoda, Bearman
Bearman gets penalty (Lap 19/19)
18:40
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Kieran Jackson
A shame for Bearman, but the right decision.
The Brit gets a 10-second penalty after going off the track to stay ahead of Antonelli. So the Mercedes driver will take eighth place and the final point on offer.
“What the hell! That is incredible,” says Bearman. A tough lesson for the 20-year-old.
Finishing behind safety car (Lap 19/19)
18:39
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Kieran Jackson
That’s that I think, folks. We won’t get another racing lap in.
Terrific drama, must say!
Stroll and Ocon collide at turn one (Lap 16/19)
18:34
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Kieran Jackson
Further back, Stroll and Ocon have had an incident at turn one and are both out!
It’s a big lunge from Stroll down the inside and he clatters into the Haas.
SAFETY CAR.
Antonelli fighting Bearman for eighth (Lap 15/19)
18:32
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Kieran Jackson
Great racing between the two youngsters!
Bearman stays ahead for eighth place, and one championship point, but was he off the road in sector one?
Let’s see if the stewards intervene...
Verstappen extends lead to two seconds (Lap 12/19)
18:28
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Kieran Jackson
Out at the front, Verstappen now leads by more than two seconds to Russell.
Think the Mercedes has lost some tyre performance with that move on Verstappen.
3-8: Sainz, Hamilton, Leclerc, Albon, Tsunoda, Bearman
Incidentally, Tsunoda up 11 places from the start!
Hamilton passes Leclerc (Lap 9/19)
18:23
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Kieran Jackson
Further back, Hamilton moves up to fourth with a super move down the inside on teammate Leclerc!
That was like the old Lewis!
Leclerc, incidentally, under investigation for an unknown safety car infringement.
Russell dives down the inside (Lap 8/19)
18:21
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Kieran Jackson
Russell makes a courageous move down the inside at the end of the back straight - both the Mercedes and Verstappen go off-track, and the Brit is forced to concede.
Verstappen keeps the lead. I like the feistiness, though!
“He completely missed the corner!” says Verstappen.
Verstappen keeps lead at restart (Lap 7/19)
18:20
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Kieran Jackson
A typically smooth restart from the Dutchman, who keeps his lead from George Russell - but the Mercedes has stayed within DRS range!
Safety car in this lap (Lap 5/19)
18:15
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Kieran Jackson
So, Norris, Piastri and Hulkenberg all OUT!
Top-10: Verstappen, Russell, Sainz, Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon, Tsunoda, Bearman, Gasly, Antonelli
A reminder: the top-eight score points in the sprint!
Norris and Piastri crash out
18:13
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Kieran Jackson
Zak Brown decrees crash 'amateur hour' (Lap 3/19)
18:09
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Kieran Jackson
Speaking on Sky F1, McLaren CEO Brown says it was “amateur hour” by the cars around his two cars.
That’ll be Nico Hulkenberg, then.
Safety car still out, incidentally.
Hulkenberg at fault (Lap 2/19)
18:08
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Kieran Jackson
Replays show Piastri got a better start from Norris, went to cut behind him at turn 1, before being hit by Hulkenberg - with Piastri then powerless to stop him flying into Norris!
Norris: “Someone just wiped me out, I’m out.”
Blimey! Top-3 is now: Verstappen, Russell, Sainz.
Safety car
18:06
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Kieran Jackson
It wasn’t Piastri’s fault, as he got clipped by Hulkenberg, but that caused the McLarens to collide!
Safety car, due to debris and tyres on track!
Both McLarens have pulled out - and Norris and Piastri are both OUT of this sprint!
Piastri and Norris hit at the start!
18:05
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Kieran Jackson
Oh wow!
Verstappen gets clear in first but Norris and Piastri collide at turn 1!
Norris is OUT - and Piastri is towards the back too!
Wow!
Formation lap
18:01
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Kieran Jackson
Verstappen leads all 20 cars around this fantastic circuit for the formation lap, with the whole pack on the medium tyre for what is a 19-lap sprint race.
Here we go then!
Reminder of the starting grid:
17:58
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Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Nico Hulkenberg
5. George Russell
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Charles Leclerc
11. Kimi Antonelli
12. Isack Hadjar
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Lance Stroll
15. Liam Lawson
16. Ollie Bearman
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Yuki Tsunoda
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Gabriel Bortoleto
Sprint race in Austin:
17:54
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Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton won the first in China, Lando Norris the second in Miami and Max Verstappen the third in Spa - who will win the fourth sprint race of the season?
Verstappen on pole on what is a scorching hot day in Texas, with Lando Norris alongside him in second and Oscar Piastri in third.
It’s a long-run up the hill to turn 1 - coud we have some chaos at the start?
Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley:
17:50
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Kieran Jackson
On Hulkenberg in P4: “He’s been under the coche, a lot of criticism about his qualifying performances but he absolutely nailed the whole of Friday.
“We haven’t been to a circuit which plays to the strengths of the car for the last three races.”
Max Verstappen, who starts on pole:
17:48
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Kieran Jackson
“It’s always difficult, the lap was good, I expect it to be a proper battle with McLaren.”
Martin Brundle on Norris-Piastri squabble at McLaren:
17:47
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Kieran Jackson
“There's a championship to be won, they've both got a fantastic car. Max is in the rear-view mirrors in the last few races.
“This setup is doomed to fail, you have two competitive athletes working in a team environment.”
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified eighth:
17:44
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Kieran Jackson
“That was definitely not the pace we were expecting.
“It was looking good in practice, Q1 was pretty decent, then it started to fall away from us. The car is very tough to drive, eight-tenths is a mountain to climb.”
A reminder of the starting grid for today's sprint race:
17:34
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Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Nico Hulkenberg
5. George Russell
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Charles Leclerc
11. Kimi Antonelli
12. Isack Hadjar
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Lance Stroll
15. Liam Lawson
16. Ollie Bearman
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Yuki Tsunoda
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Gabriel Bortoleto
Max Verstappen after taking pole for the sprint:
17:29
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Kieran Jackson
“It was a nice qualifying, it’s about trying to put it all together, not easy but worked out well. I still expect it to be a tough battle tomorrow in the sprint.
“You have to leave a few margins here and there but this has been a very good day.
“Just got to try and have a good start and have pace in the race.”
Hamilton says Ferrari have a 'mountain to climb'
17:15
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Kieran Jackson
“That was definitely not the pace we were expecting.
“It was looking good in practice, Q1 was pretty decent, then it started to fall away from us. The car is very tough to drive, eight-tenths is a mountain to climb.”
Top-10 - driver standings
17:00
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Kieran Jackson
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 237 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 173 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 88 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 70 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 39 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points
Driver Standings heading into this weekend
17:00
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Kieran Jackson
Piastri has a 22-point lead at the top:
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 237 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 173 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 88 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 70 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 39 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points
11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 34 points
12. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 32 points
13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 30 points
15. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 28 points
16. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 20 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 20 points
18. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 18 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
A reminder of the starting grid for the sprint:
16:45
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Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Nico Hulkenberg
5. George Russell
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Alex Albon
10. Charles Leclerc
11. Kimi Antonelli
12. Isack Hadjar
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Lance Stroll
15. Liam Lawson
16. Ollie Bearman
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Yuki Tsunoda
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Gabriel Bortoleto
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies:
16:30
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Kieran Jackson
On Verstappen’s sprint pole: “We knew it was going to be touch and go, Lando had a very good lap. Max was line-on-line, but in the last corners he sent it in to get the pole.
“He surprises us every time he gets into the car, he’s unbelievable.”
Lando Norris to face ‘repercussions’ after Singapore collision with Oscar Piastri
15:00
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Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris will face “repercussions” after McLaren held him responsible for the first-lap collision with Oscar Piastri in Singapore.
“Lando has taken responsibility for that,” Piastri said. “I think it’s quite clear for us as a team that how lap one unfolded wasn’t how we want to go racing.”
Norris accepted the team’s decision to blame him for the incident. He also suggested that the unspecified consequences dealt out to him would be noticeable.
“The team held me accountable for what happened, which I think is fair,” Norris said. “Then we made progress from there on and understanding what the repercussions were for myself.
Piastri's immediate reaction to Norris clash in Singapore
11:10
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Kieran Jackson
Constructors' Championship heading into Austin:
10:00
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Kieran Jackson
1. McLaren - 650 points (champions)
2. Mercedes - 325 points
3. Ferrari - 300 points
4. Red Bull - 290 points
5. Williams - 102 points
6. Racing Bulls - 72 points
7. Aston Martin - 66 points
8. Sauber - 55 points
9. Haas - 46 points
10. Alpine - 20 points
Christian Horner rumours are distracting for Ferrari, says Lewis Hamilton
06:00
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Kieran Jackson
Hamilton believes that talk of Horner replacing Fred Vasseur is not helping their cause.
“It is a little bit distracting for us as a team,” Hamilton said ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
“The team have made it clear where things stand in terms of re-signing Fred. Fred and the whole team are working really hard on the future of the team.
“I don’t know where the rumours have come from so I can’t really shed much light on that. These things naturally aren’t helpful. I know everyone back at the factory is working really hard and these kind of rumours can be distracting.
“For me it is trying to keep the focus on the goal in front of us and building next years car so that we can have better execution and better performance.”
What does the 2026 grid look like?
05:00
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Kieran Jackson
McLAREN
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
FERRARI
Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton
RED BULL
Max Verstappen
TBC
MERCEDES
George Russell
Kimi Antonelli
ASTON MARTIN
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll
ALPINE
Pierre Gasly
TBC
HAAS
Esteban Ocon
Ollie Bearman
RACING BULLS
TBC
TBC
WILLIAMS
Alex Albon
Carlos Sainz
SAUBER
Nico Hulkenberg
Gabriel Bortoleto
CADILLAC
Sergio Perez
Valtteri Bottas
F1 sells US TV rights to Apple in $140m a year deal
04:00
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Kieran Jackson
Apple has landed US broadcast rights to F1 in a five-year deal that would help the tech giant bolster its streaming service with one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, following the success of F1: The Movie.
The two sides did not disclose the financial details of the deal on Friday. CNBC reported it was for $140m a year, much higher than the $90m the Walt Disney-owned ESPN was paying each season for F1, which it has broadcast since 2018.
Apple’s deal begins next year. The iPhone maker will stream F1 on Apple TV, its critically acclaimed streaming service that won 22 Emmy awards this year but lacks the scale to compete with industry leaders such as Netflix and Disney+ despite billions of dollars in investment.
Reuters
SPRINT RACE REPORT: Max Verstappen lays down first marker with sprint race pole in Austin
03:00
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Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen again toppled title-tussling McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to claim pole position for Saturday’s sprint at the United States Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion has tentatively re-emerged as a title contender having beaten the McLaren duo in each o