F1 US Grand Prix LIVE: Race schedule and start time as Lando Norris starts on pole
F1 live updates from the Circuit of the Americas as Norris starts from the front ahead of Max Verstappen
Lando Norris saw off rival Max Verstappen to take pole position for the US Grand Prix and boost his F1 championship dream.
Verstappen claimed his first win in nearly four months when he led every lap of the sprint race at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas earlier on Saturday to extend his title advantage from 52 to 54 points.
Norris finished third – after he was passed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz on the final lap – but he bounced back in qualifying to take spot, beating Verstappen by just 0.031 seconds.
Norris set the early pace in the shootout for pole, and then lucked-in when George Russell crashed out in his Mercedes at the penultimate corner.
Follow live updates from the United States Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 US Grand Prix: Carlos Sainz overtakes Charles Leclerc (Lap 7/19)
Sainz wins the war! He divebombs down the inside and Leclerc has to go off-track...
Sainz takes fourth! “Let’s go and get them guys,” he says.
Meanwhile, Norris does brilliantly to defend Russell at the end of the back straight - and keeps second for now!
It means the gap to Verstappen is now two seconds...
Top-8: Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Sainz, Leclerc, Hamilton, Magnussen, Tsunoda
F1 US Grand Prix: Norris now outside of DRS to Verstappen (Lap 6/19)
Superior pace from Red Bull - or is Norris just conserving his medium tyres?
Either way, the gap between Verstappen and Norris is now 1.2 seconds - and George Russell is just half-a-second behind Norris in third.
Top-8: Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Leclerc, Sainz, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Magnussen
F1 US Grand Prix: Leclerc and Sainz fighting! (Lap 4/19)
Brilliant on track combat between the Ferraris, but Leclerc keeps fourth after a few changes of position!
At the front, Verstappen is 0.7 seconds ahead of Norris - so the McLaren will have DRS here!
3-8: Russell, Leclerc, Sainz, Hamilton, Magnussen, Tsunoda
Sergio Perez, who started 11th, only up to 10th so far...
F1 US Grand Prix: LIGHTS OUT!
Max Verstappen holds the lead after a long wait at the lights - but Lando Norris takes second place from George Russell... just!
The McLaren driver needed some bravery there to hold his land down the inside heading into turn 3 - but he keeps second!
Russell down to third, but being heavily challenged by Charles Leclerc in fourth!
Exhilarating start!
F1 US Grand Prix: Formation lap!
So Max Verstappen leads the other 18 cars (with Alex Albon in the pit-lane) around the track for the formation lap at the newly resurfaced Circuit of the Americas!
This sprint race will be 19 laps - can the likes of Lando Norris challenge for the lead?!
Who will hold the lead heading into turn one?
F1 US Grand Prix: A reminder of the starting grid for the sprint
1. Max Verstappen
2. George Russell
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Lando Norris
5. Carlos Sainz
6. Nico Hulkenberg
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Kevin Magnussen
9. Yuki Tsunoda
10. Franco Colapinto
11. Sergio Perez
12. Pierre Gasly
13. Lance Stroll
14. Fernando Alonso
15. Liam Lawson
16. Oscar Piastri
17. Esteban Ocon
18. Valtteri Bottas
19. Zhou Guanyu
Pit lane. Alex Albon
F1 US Grand Prix: Sprint coming right up!
Here we go then!
The fourth sprint race of the season is about to get underway under the baking sun in Austin, Texas.
Can anyone get a jump on pole-sitter Max Verstappen at the start?
F1 US Grand Prix: McLaren’s Lando Norris, who starts P4...
“I don’t think we have the pace at the minute, we need to move forward and that’s what we’ll try and do.
“We’re still doing a good job, but layout of track isn’t suiting us and we have good competition.”
F1 US Grand Prix: Max Verstappen, who starts on pole...
“I can drive a bit more around the problems, today I hope we’re competitive in the race. In the race, we’ve been lacking quite a bit - I hope today we’re more competitive.”
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