Starting from the front row in the Austin Sprint: Max Verstappen. © APA / PETER FOX

Verstappen on the sprint pole in Austin

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has secured pole position for the sprint at the US Grand Prix in Austin.

18 October 2025

From: apa

In qualifying on Friday (local time) at the Circuit of The Americas, the Dutchman was 71 thousandths of a second faster in his Red Bull than McLaren driver Lando Norris. World Championship leader Oscar Piastri set the third-fastest lap in the second McLaren car. The 100-kilometer mini-race will be held on Saturday (19 p.m. CEST/live on ORF 1, Sky).

"That was a good job," said Verstappen, who last won the sprint at Spa-Francorchamps this summer. "All in all, it was a good qualifying. We were pretty close in all segments and almost got everything right, which isn't easy with the soft tires," he said. "I'm excited for tomorrow and happy with today. It was a very good day for us."

Excitement in the race for the title

In the only practice session, Norris had opened the Grand Prix weekend with the fastest time. The Briton was 0,255 seconds faster than German Nico Hülkenberg in the Sauber, with Piastri third. Fernando Alonso finished fourth in his Aston Martin, with Verstappen fifth. Hülkenberg will start the sprint on Saturday from fourth on the grid.

Lando Norris (left) is currently 22 points behind his teammate Oscar Piastri. © ANSA / DUSTIN SAFRANEK

McLaren has already mathematically won the Constructors' World Championship this year. In the Drivers' Championship, Piastri is 22 points ahead of Norris. The rivalry between the two was recently heated up in Singapore by a fierce battle. Theoretically, Verstappen still has a chance to win the championship again, given his 63-point deficit.