Max Verstappen has a slight edge over his title rival Lando Norris in the practice session held in Austin for the US Grand Prix. Norris, who is currently 52 points behind Verstappen in the championship standings, finished fourth in practice, just one position behind the Red Bull driver at the Circuit of the Americas.
In the sole practice session before the qualifying rounds for Saturday’s sprint race, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari topped the timesheets, with his teammate Charles Leclerc following closely behind. Norris, coming off a commanding victory in the previous race in Singapore, is aiming to keep the pressure on Verstappen as he vies for his first world championship title.
Verstappen managed to hold a narrow early advantage over Norris in practice, edging ahead by a mere 0.013 seconds. Norris’ McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, secured the fifth position, while Sergio Perez of Red Bull had a challenging session, finishing in 16th place.
Lewis Hamilton, a five-time winner at the Austin circuit, could only manage sixth place in practice, trailing by 0.361 seconds. He was followed by George Russell in the other Mercedes. Both Hamilton and Russell had moments where they spun off the track but luckily avoided any damage to their cars.
In other results, Liam Lawson, who replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull, finished in 13th place, three spots behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Qualifying for the shortened race on Saturday is scheduled for 1630 local time (2230 BST).
The battle between Verstappen and Norris promises to intensify as they continue to jostle for position in the championship standings. With just six rounds remaining, every practice session and race becomes crucial in the quest for the coveted title. Fans can expect a thrilling weekend of racing action at the Circuit of the Americas as the drivers push themselves to the limit in pursuit of victory.