Max Verstappen ended his winless run to convert his pole position into victory at Saturday’s United States sprint race and extend his championship lead over Lando Norris by two points.
Verstappen led from start to finish to take the checkered flag 3.8 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who moved past Norris on the final lap.
Norris hung on in third place, one place ahead of Charles Leclerc. George Russell started second but only finished fifth.
Lewis Hamilton was sixth in the other Mercedes.
Follow live updates from the US Grand Prix with The Independent
A reminder of start times for the rest of the Austin weekend:
All times BST
Kieran Jackson19 October 2024 21:34
TOP-8 IN THE US GRAND PRIX SPRINT
1. Max Verstappen (8 points)
2. Carlos Sainz (7 points)
3. Lando Norris (6 points)
4. Charles Leclerc (5 points)
5. George Russell (4 points)
6. Lewis Hamilton (3 points)
7. Kevin Magnussen (2 points)
8. Nico Hulkenberg (1 point)
Kieran Jackson19 October 2024 20:17
US GP PREVIEW: How Donald Trump and Kamala Harris revealed F1’s true worth as US presidential election nears finish line
For a sport that has struggled for the better part of 70 years to find a home across the Atlantic, Formula 1’s presence in the United States has reached unprecedented heights this year. And it’s not just a nod to the three American races, in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas, or to the boom in popularity in the state – a result of Liberty Media’s takeover in 2017 and Netflix’s Drive to survive fever.
Rather, it has been, ahead of the heavily charged US presidential election on November 5, the surprising arena for the two nominees to perform, promote and present themselves in a unique and increasingly attractive way to voters.
Kieran JacksonOctober 19, 2024 10:35 p.m
Sebastian Vettel announces return to racing in ‘super team’ alongside humbled F1 star
Four-time F1 world champion Vettel retired in 2022 after 16 seasons in the sport, driving for the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin.
Yet next March at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, Vettel will form a German ‘super team’ alongside Schumacher – son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher – in the ROC Nations Cup.
Kieran JacksonOctober 19, 2024 10:24 p.m
Christian Horner reacts to Zak Brown’s claim that Red Bull ‘smack’ saga ‘doesn’t add up’
Asked by Sky F1 why the FIA ​​still wanted to add seals to the bib adjustment, Horner replied: “I think there’s been a bit of a moan from one of our rivals.
“And it’s the FIA’s job to investigate these things. It’s on a list of open source components, so it’s been publicly available for the last three years. The FIA ​​is happy with it, I think, just to maybe satisfy some paranoia elsewhere in the fold.”
“I feel like sometimes it’s to distract from maybe what’s going on in your own house, so do you sometimes try to start a fire somewhere else?”
Kieran JacksonOctober 19, 2024 10:12 p.m
Constructors’ Championship after the US GP sprint
5. Aston Martin – 86 points
Kieran JacksonOctober 19, 2024 9:59 p.m
Lewis Hamilton and F1 are desperate for Africa’s return – but these obstacles must be overcome
Formula 1 will return. Lewis Hamilton insists F1 cannot continue to ignore it. But after 31 years away, the sport still can’t penetrate a route back to the only viable continent (sorry Antarctica) it fails to race in: Africa.
1993 was the last time the “Mother Continent” hosted an F1 grand prix. It was at Kyalami, 20 miles north of Johannesburg, when Williams driver Alain Prost won the 27th edition of the South African Grand Prix.
Rather obviously, it is difficult to claim the full truth of the “Formula 1 World Championship” competition, while a record 24-race calendar does not actually include the entire world and its continents.
But F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has made no secret of his desire to add an African race to the schedule, amid an opening of talks with Rwandan officials last month.
But is Rwanda the only option? South Africa has also come close in recent years. And what are the biggest obstacles? The independent takes a look at all the potential locations F1 could venture to in Africa.
Kieran JacksonOctober 19, 2024 9:48 p.m
Driver position after US GP sprint
The gap between the top two is now 54 points…
1. Max Verstappen – 339 points
2. Lando Norris – 285 points
3. Charles Leclerc – 250 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 237 points
5. Carlos Sainz – 197 points
6. Lewis Hamilton – 177 points
7. George Russell – 159 points
8. Sergio Perez – 144 points
9. Fernando Alonso – 62 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg – 25 points
11. Lance Stroll – 24 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 22 points
13. Alex Albon – 12 points
14. Daniel Ricciardo – 12 points
15. Kevin Magnussen – 8 points
16. Pierre Gasly – 8 points
17. Ollie Bearman – 7 points
18. Esteban Ocon – 5 points
19. Franco Colapinto – 4 points
20. Zhou Guanyu – 0 points
21. Logan Sargeant – 0 points
22. Valtteri Bottas – 0 points
Kieran JacksonOctober 19, 2024 9:20 p.m
Martin Brundle insists there is ‘no smoking gun’ in the Red Bull F1 bib device saga
Kieran Jackson19 October 2024 at 21.00
SPRINT RACE REPORT: Max Verstappen ends frustrating winless run with sprint success at US Grand Prix
Max Verstappen ended his winless run to convert his pole position into victory at Saturday’s United States sprint race and extend his championship lead over Lando Norris by two points.
Verstappen led from start to finish to take the checkered flag 3.8 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who moved past Norris on the final lap.
Norris hung on in third place, one place ahead of Charles Leclerc. George Russell started second but only finished fifth. Lewis Hamilton was sixth in the other Mercedes.
Kieran JacksonOctober 19, 2024 8:40 p.m