Max Verstappen converted his impressive Friday performance into a Sprint race victory to return to winning ways at the 2024 United States Grand Prix.
Verstappen made a strong start, getting off the line well alongside George Russell. Lando Norris had a good launch, getting ahead of both Scuderia Ferrari drivers and then Russell to get into second. Despite Norris looking like he could’ve reeled Verstappen in at points, the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver wasn’t challenged throughout 19 laps.
Nico Hulkenberg slipped back from sixth into ninth, while Lewis Hamilton gained a position on the start. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. delighted the fans in Austin with a thrilling intra-team battle for fourth, with both swapping around and even almost making contact with each other.
Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson engaged in a battle, with the former frustrated on the radio with the newly promoted Visa Cash App RB driver.
Sergio Pérez didn’t make an impression on the point positions, spending a frustrating amount of time behind Yuki Tsunoda, who may be a threat to the Mexican’s position at Red Bull in 2025.
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool/Getty Images
Towards the end of the Sprint, Norris locked up going into Turn One, allowing Sainz to go through into second place. The only silver lining for Norris was that he managed to successfully hold off Leclerc to stay in third.
Verstappen was three seconds ahead at the chequered flag, with Sainz and Norris behind competing the Sprint top three. Leclerc followed in fourth, with Russell and Hamilton in fifth and sixth.
Kevin Magnussen and Húlkenberg secured two crucial points for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team in their battle with RB with a seventh and eighth place finish ahead of Pérez.
Piastri took tenth, with Tsunoda ahead of Franco Colapinto in twelfth. Lance Stroll was thirteenth, following by the BWT Alpine F1 Team pair of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. Lawson finished sixteenth ahead of Albon, Alonso and Guanyu Zhou.
Valtteri Bottas finished last and pulled over the on the last lap due to a break issue.
| POS | NO | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | TIME/RETIRED | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 19 | 31:06.146 | 8 |
| 2 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 19 | +3.882s | 7 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 19 | +6.240s | 6 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 19 | +6.956s | 5 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 19 | +15.766s | 4 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 19 | +18.724s | 3 |
| 7 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 19 | +25.161s | 2 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 19 | +26.588s | 1 |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 19 | +29.950s | 0 |
| 10 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 19 | +37.059s | 0 |
| 11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 19 | +38.363s | 0 |
| 12 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 19 | +39.460s | 0 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 19 | +41.236s | 0 |
| 14 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 19 | +41.995s | 0 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 19 | +42.804s | 0 |
| 16 | 30 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT | 19 | +44.008s | 0 |
| 17 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 19 | +44.564s | 0 |
| 18 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 19 | +46.807s | 0 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 | +52.842s | 0 |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 | +54.476s | 0 |