Motor racing-Verstappen wins Austin sprint to stretch lead over Norris
Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the U.S. Grand Prix sprint in Austin, ending an eight-race losing streak and extending his championship lead over Lando Norris by 54 points. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari finished second after overtaking Norris on the last lap. This victory marks Verstappen's first since June and his fourth sprint win this season, with two more sprints remaining. The main U.S. Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday.
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the U.S. Grand Prix sprint from pole position on Saturday to end an eight-race losing streak and extend his Formula One championship lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris to 54 points.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished second, 3.882 seconds behind Verstappen, after passing Norris at the start of the last lap at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas when the Briton went too deep into turn one.
The victory was Verstappen’s first of any sort since a sprint in Austria in June and meant the triple champion has now won all four 100km sprints so far this season with two more still to come.
The main U.S. Grand Prix is on Sunday.