The US GP heralds the final quarter of the Formula 1 season. Max Verstappen takes pole position for the sprint race in Austin. Nico Hülkenberg surprises with grid position 4 in the Sauber.
18.10.2025, 00:32
18.10.2025, 07:11
SDA
On the front row of the grid alongside Verstappen, who has won more than half (12 out of 21) of the sprint races held so far, is Lando Norris, who will race for around a third of a Grand Prix distance on Saturday. The British McLaren driver was 71 thousandths slower than the four-time world champion in the Red Bull in the decisive part of qualifying for the sprint.
McLaren duo lurking
World championship leader Oscar Piastri followed in third place in the other McLaren. The Australian is 22 points ahead of Norris in the overall standings. The team-internal duel was recently reignited in Singapore by a fierce duel between the two.
Theoretically, Verstappen still has a chance of winning the championship again, given the 63-point deficit. The sprint race means that a driver can score a maximum of 33 points on the circuit in Austin. In the sprint, the first eight are rewarded with points.
Hülkenberg strong fourth place
Nico Hülkenberg is fuelling hopes of a third tangible sprint result for a Hinwil-based Sauber team since the format was introduced in the 2021 season. After second place in the only practice session, the German veteran was also among the front runners in qualifying and was rewarded with fourth place on the grid. His Brazilian team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto, on the other hand, will start from the back of the grid in 20th place.
The start of the 19-lap, 100-km race will take place on Saturday at 19:00 Swiss time. The Grand Prix will take place on Sunday evening from 21:00.
