Max Verstappen's frightening Red Bull claim after blow to Lando Norris' F1 title hopes

Lando Norris mislaid 2 points to Max Verstappen successful the F1 driver' rubric contention arsenic the Red Bull racer led the United States Grand Prix Sprint contention from commencement to finish

Max Verstappen said his upgraded Red Bull "feels similar aged times" arsenic helium utilized his caller parts to inflict a stroke connected Lando Norris' rubric hopes.

The Brit needs to support closing the spread to his rubric rival but missed retired connected the accidental to bash truthful successful yesterday's Sprint contention successful Austin. The harm was done connected Friday erstwhile helium qualified 4th for the 19-lap Texas tussle portion Verstappen secured a archetypal rod successful immoderate F1 format since the Imola contention successful May.

And helium led from commencement to decorativeness portion Norris had to settee for 3rd aft rising 2 places connected the archetypal thigh earlier losing 1 of them to Carlos Sainz astatine the precise end.

Verstappen beamed: "It feels a spot similar aged times! I americium precise blessed with today. If you look astatine the full race, Ferrari were besides precise speedy but, for us, we were yet racing again. Normally successful the contention we were ever looking backmost down us, but present we could conscionable bash our ain contention and we had bully pace."

He gained 2 points connected Norris to widen his title pb to 54 with 5 much rounds remaining aft today's United States Grand Prix. But contempt losing ground, the McLaren racer insisted helium was pleased with however helium had performed.

Norris said: "It was a bully contention and honestly I americium beauteous blessed with however things ended up. It was a pugnacious 1 - I thought I could bent connected to 2nd but Carlos did a bully occupation and my beforehand tyres were wholly finished.

"There was not a batch that I could bash whether I stayed consecutive oregon defended oregon not, I americium beauteous definite I would person mislaid the presumption to Carlos [anyway]. So, a disappointing extremity but I americium blessed with the contention effect and a bully magnitude of points."

Norris has been lampooned for his sluggish starts astatine times this season, but helium was not hanging astir here. Furious to beryllium starting fourth, helium had flown up to 2nd wrong conscionable a fewer corners with a superb motorboat disconnected the enactment to dive past Leclerc and George Russell. The second was truthful intent connected challenging pole-sitter Verstappen into the archetypal country that helium was careless connected the exit and suffered a drawback of oversteer.

It was each Norris needed to powerfulness done and acceptable his sights connected the backmost of his rubric rival's car, but that was the lone space of the Red Bull helium would spot each afternoon. Verstappen pulled himself much than 1 2nd distant from the McLaren to marque definite Norris didn't person the payment of DRS and that was the infinitesimal the Brit began to autumn further back.

It was a Sprint to hide for Mercedes arsenic Russell slipped from 2nd connected the grid to fifth, up of Lewis Hamilton who struggled for gait contempt claiming helium should person secured rod the time before. Sainz and Charles Leclerc spent overmuch of the Sprint warring each other, but inactive Hamilton was not capable to instrumentality vantage and was dropped by both. Haas brace Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg rounded disconnected the apical 8 to people points astatine their location event.