Verstappen earns easy US Grand Prix sprint win and pole position on another rough day for McLaren | National Sports

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Red Bull’s Max Verstappen cruised to an easy victory Saturday in a crash-filled United States Grand Prix sprint race, and then took pole position for the main event on a rough day for Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Piastri and Lando Norris, who are 1-2 in the title chase, crashed out on the first lap of the sprint race. After mechanics worked furiously to get their cars back together, Norris recovered to finish second to Verstappen in qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix, but Piastri was a distant sixth.

kAm%96 C6DF=ED @7 2 D4@C49:?8 52J 2E E96 r:C4F:E @7 E96 p>6C:42D >62?E !:2DEC: >2:?E2:?65 9:D aa\A@:?E =625 @G6C 9:D E62>>2E6 😕 E96 E:E=6 492D6 3FE 4@F=5 ?@E 6IE6?5 :E] p?5 E96 |4{2C6? >:D92A 4C62E65 2 9F86 @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C ‘6CDE2AA6?[ H9@ 😀 ?@H H:E9:? dd A@:?ED @7 E96 =625 H:E9 D:I 8C2?5 AC:I 2?5 EH@ DAC:?E C246D =67E @? E96 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm’6CDE2AA6? 😀 H:E9:? bb A@:?ED @7 }@CC:D 7@C D64@?5 A=246]k^Am

kAm“u@C FD[ 2 G6CJ DEC@?8 C6DF=E[” ‘6CDE2AA6? D2:5]k^Am

k9am%96 sFE49>2? 😀 3C:?8:?8 E96 AC6DDFC6k^9am

kAm’6CDE2AA6? 😀 2 7@FC\E:>6 492>A:@? 492D:?8 E96 C2C:7:65 2:C @7 2 7:7E9] !:2DEC: 2?5 }@CC:D 2C6 3@E9 ECJ:?8 E@ H:? E96:C 7:CDE 492>A:@?D9:A]k^Am

kAm’6CDE2AA6? 😀 C24:?8 H:E9 2 7FCJ E92E 92D E96 A255@4< 3FKK:?8]k^Am

kAmw6 92D H@? EH@ @7 E96 =2DE E9C66 C246D H9:=6 |4{2C6? 92D 8@?6 H:?=6DD 😕 E92E DA2?] p7E6C 2? 62C=J\D62D@? D=F>A E92E 2==@H65 E96 |4{2C6?D E@ AF== 2H2J 😕 E96 492>A:@?D9:A 62C=J[ #65 qF==VD C6DFC86?46 92D C2:D65 E96 E6>A6C2EFC6 @? E96 E:E=6 492D6]k^Am

kAmxE H:== @?=J 8@ FA :7 96 H:?D 282:? $F?52J 2?5 |4{2C6? 42?VE >:?:>:K6 E96 52>286]k^Am

kAm“%96J’G6 366? G6CJ BF:4< 😕 C646?E C246D[ |2I 2?5 #65 qF==[” }@CC:D D2:5] “x E9:?< >@DE A=246D H6 8@ ?@H[ H6 E9:?< #65 qF== H:== 36 @FC 3:886DE 4@>A6E:E@C]”k^Am

kAm’6CDE2AA6? H@? E9C66 😕 2 C@H 😕 pFDE:? 7C@> a_a`\a_ab 2?5 92D D6G6C2= 42C66C H:?D 😕 |6I:4@ r:EJ[ H96C6 E96 D6C:6D 9625D ?6IE]k^Am

k9am|4{2C6?VD >:D6C23=6 DAC:?E C246k^9am

kAm’6CDE2AA6? DE2CE65 E96 DAC:?E 7C@> A@=6 H:E9 }@CC:D D64@?5 2?5 !:2DEC: E9:C5 2D E96 42CD 492C865 FA9:== :?E@ E96 D92CA =67E EFC? @7 E96 7:CDE 4@C?6C] (:E9 D6G6C2= 42CD 3F?4965 😕 EC277:4[ !:2DEC: 4FE :?E@ z:4< $2F36C’D }:4@ wF=<6?36C8[ 2?5 E96:C 3F>A D6?E !:2DEC: 4C2D9:?8 :?E@ }@CC:D]k^Am

kAm}@CC:D’ 42C DAF? 2?5 2 C62C H966= H2D @4<65 @77] !:2DEC:’D 42C 2=D@ 3@F?465 2?5 DF776C65 DFDA6?D:@? 52>286] #246 @77:4:2=D 5:5 ?@E A6?2=:K6 2?J @7 E96 5C:G6CD :?G@=G65]k^Am

kAm“}6:E96C @7 @FC 5C:G6CD E@ 3=2>6 E96C6[” |4{2C6? 3@DD +2< qC@H? E@=5 $6 2>2E6FC 9@FC 5C:G:?8] $@>6 5C:G6CD FA E96C6 2E E96 7C@?E H924<65 @FC EH@ 8FJD]”k^Am

kAmxE H2D E96 D64@?5 DEC2:89E C246 H:E9 4@?E24E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^7@C>F=2\`\G6CDE2AA6?\A:2DEC:\?@CC:D\e27ede2bfc72ahag5bbda`452f_h_dg`Qm36EH66? E96 EH@ |4{2C6?Dk^2m] %96J ?62C=J 4C2D965 😕 $:?82A@C6 H96? }@CC:D 3F>A65 E:C6D H:E9 !:2DEC: @? E96 @A6?:?8 =2A]k^Am

kAm}@CC:D D2:5 96 ;FDE H2?ED E@ 86E E9C@F89 E96 7:CDE 4@C?6C $F?52J H:E9@FE :?4:56?E]k^Am

kAm“s@?VE 86E 9:E[” }@CC:D D2:5] “x’> 92AAJ H:E9 !a] xE 4@F=5 92G6 366? H@CD6] %96C6’D ?@ 492?46 H6 4@F=5 92G6 8@?6 A@=6 E@52J]Qk^Am

k9am!:2DEC:VD 725:?8 7@C>k^9am

kAm(9:=6 }@CC:D >2?2865 E@ D4C2A 324< :?E@ E96 7C@?E C@H 7@C $F?52JVD DE2CE[ !:2DEC: DECF88=65 E@ 7:?5 2?J A246 😕 BF2=:7J:?8] %96 pFDEC2=:2? 92D ;FDE @?6 A@5:F> 7:?:D9 😕 E96 =2DE E9C66 C246D 2D 9:D 492>A:@?D9:A =625 D9C:?

kAm’6CDE2AA6? 2?5 }@CC:D 4@F=5 E2<6 2?@E96C D:K623=6 3:E6 @? $F?52J] }@CC:D DF886DE65 ‘6CDE2AA6? >2J 36 E@@ 72DE E@ 362E 😕 E96 C246[ 3FE C66=:?8 😕 9:D E62>>2E6 2?5 492>A:@?D9:A =6256C 😀 E96 3:886C 8@2=]k^Am

kAm%96 4C2D9 😕 E96 DAC:?E =67E $F?52J 2D 2 8C62E F?@H?[ }@CC:D D2:5]k^Am

kAm“(6’G6 ?@E 5@?6 >@C6 E92? E9C66 =2AD 😕 2 C@H 2?5[” }@CC:D D2:5] “x 92G6 ?@ :562 :7 :E H:== 36 2>2K:?8 W@CX E6CC:3=6] (6 H6C6 9@A:?8 E@ =62C? 2 =@E E@52J]”k^Am

k9amu6CC2C: 4@?E:?F6D E@ 324< ‘2DD6FCk^9am

kAmu6CC2C: r92:C>2? y@9? t=<2?? :DDF65 2 DE2E6>6?E $2EFC52J D2J:?8 96 92D “7F== 4@?7:56?46Q 😕 E62> AC:?4:A2= uC65 ‘2DD6FC 2>:5 A6CD:DE6?E DA64F=2E:@? E92E 7@C>6C #65 qF== C24:?8 3@DD r9C:DE:2? w@C?6C 4@F=5 E2<6 9:D ;@3]k^Am

kAmQx 2=D@ H2?E E@ C6277:C> E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 E62>H@C< 3J 6G6CJ@?6 E@ >2:?E2:? 7@4FD @? E96 @?=J 8@2= E92E >2EE6CDi 2=H2JD 8:G:?8 @FC G6CJ 36DE @? E96 EC24<[” t=<2?? D2:5]k^Am

kAmu6CC2C:VD r92C=6D {64=6C4 H:== DE2CE 7C@> E9:C5 $F?52J[ 3FE E96 E62> 😀 H:?=6DD E9:D D62D@?] xE 92D?VE H@? 2 5C:G6C 492>A:@?D9:A D:?46 a__f @C 2 4@?DECF4E@C’D E:E=6 D:?46 a__g] $E:==[ u6CC2C: 2H2C565 ‘2DD6FC 2 >F=E:\J62C 4@?EC24E 6IE6?D:@? 😕 yF=J]k^Am

kAmw@C?6C[ H9@ =65 #65 qF== E@ 6:89E 5C:G6C 492>A:@?D9:AD 2?5 D:I E62> E:E=6D 😕 a_ J62CD[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^49C:DE:2?\9@C?6C\C65\3F==\`e2_hh_7a4d625c7`4776h`hf4ag52bgQmH2D 7:C65 3J #65 qF==k^2m 😕 yF=J]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! 2FE@ C24:?8i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2FE@\C24:?8Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2FE@\C24:?8k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.