AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Red Bull’s Formula One leader Max Verstappen took pole position for the Saturday sprint race at the U.S. Grand Prix with McLaren’s title rival Lando Norris qualifying fourth.
Mercedes’ George Russell joined triple world champion Verstappen on the front row with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third.
Verstappen, who last year won both the 19-lap sprint and Sunday grand prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, lapped with a fastest time of one minute 32.833 seconds — 0.012 quicker than Russell.
The Dutch driver leads Norris by 52 points with six rounds remaining.
Norris will be unable to count on support in the sprint from team mate Oscar Piastri after the Australian had his fastest lap deleted and failed to progress beyond the first phase, qualifying only 16th.
Verstappen’s team mate Sergio Perez will also start well down the field in 11th.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
