Verstappen Beats Norris and Piastri to Sweep Sprint Qualifying in Austin

Sports

Max Verstappen secured pole for the Sprint at the 2025 United States Grand Prix after edging out the two McLaren drivers in a thrilling final qualifier at the Circuit of the Americas. His lap of 1 m 32.143 s was just 0.071 s faster than Lando Norris, with Oscar Piastri finishing third.

The session featured one of the tightest front-row battles of the weekend. Norris took provisional pole early, only for Verstappen to respond with a perfect flyer when it counted. Piastri, despite being championship leader, admitted his final lap was “scruffy” yet still secured a strong starting position.

Behind the leading trio, Nico Hülkenberg impressed with a fast run to take fourth for Sauber. George Russell (Mercedes) qualified fifth, followed by Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) in sixth and Carlos Sainz Jr. (Williams) in seventh a strong result for the team considering their recent struggles.

The result confirms Verstappen’s dominance in the Sprint format — he now has pole positions in three consecutive Austin Sprints. The win sets him in prime position to reduce the championship gap to Piastri and hunt down the lead over the final races.

With the grid locked in, attention now moves to the Sprint race where eight points will be on the line. Whether Verstappen can convert pole into victory or if McLaren’s pace will translate into a charge from second and third remains to be seen. The night in Austin promises more drama under the lights.