F1 results: Max Verstappen takes the F1 Sprint at the U.S. Grand Prix

AUSTIN, Texas -- When Formula 1 arrived in Austin for the United States Grand Prix, one overwhelming question cast a shadow over the entire paddock: Could Max Verstappen truly pull off one of the sport’s greatest comebacks?

By the time the grid reached the second turn of Saturday’s F1 Sprint race, that possibility seemed nearly inevitable.

Verstappen qualified first for the F1 Sprint race just ahead of the two drivers he is currently chasing for the Drivers’ Championship: Second-place Lando Norris, who qualified second, and championship leader Oscar Piastri, who qualified third. But which driver would get the braking point right into the tricky first turn at the Circuit of the Americas, after climbing the 133-foot hill?

As it turns out, it was more a matter of survival.

Verstappen got the start he needed and maintained the lead into the first corner, but behind him, chaos ensued. Norris got off to a slower start, and when he ran wide he left the door open for Piastri behind him, who tried to nose through on the inside of his teammate. But with both Fernando Alonso and Nico Hülkenberg lurking on the inside as well, something or someone had to give.

It was the two McLarens, as well as Alonso.

Hülkenberg clipped the inside of Piastri’s MCL39, sending the Australian driver airborne for a moment and then into the inside of Norris. After the initial contact between the Sauber and the McLaren, Hülkenberg’s C45 clipped the right rear of Alonso’s Aston Martin, ending the F1 Sprint race for Piastri, Norris, and Alonso.

You can see the chaotic start here:

Out came the Safety Car, and in came the McLaren teammates into the paddock, turned into spectators along with the rest of us.

When the race resumed, Verstappen got the restart he needed to maintain the lead over George Russell. Still, an incident between the two on Lap 8 at Turn 12 nearly proved costly, as the Mercedes driver attempted a daring overtake of Verstappen on the inside but ran wide, sending both drivers off the racing line:

“Mate, what was that? He completely missed the corner,” reported Verstappen from the cockpit of his RB21.

After that skirmish Russell slid back a bit, staying behind Verstappen and outside of DRS range. By Lap 12, that gap from Verstappen to Russell was over two seconds, and barring some sort of intervention, another win for the Red Bull driver seemed in the cards.

There was an intervention, as Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon came together at Turn 1 on Lap 16 to bring out another Safety Car, all but locking the result in place for Verstappen. The only bit of drama left was a ten-second penalty handed out to Oliver Bearman for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a battle with Kimi Antonelli, dropping Bearman out of the final points position in the provisional finishing order.

But the story, as it was yesterday, is Verstappen. With the win -- and the eight points -- the Red Bull driver is now just 33 points behind Norris for second in the Drivers’ Championship standings, and only 55 points behind Piastri.

“Start was good, and then of course there was a Safety Car due to the Turn 1 incident,” said Verstappen when speaking with Jenson Button trackside after the race.

“I do think we need to be a bit better in race trim,” added the Red Bull driver.

And the big points are handed out tomorrow, with 25 going to the winner.

Here are the provisional results from the F1 Sprint race at the United States Grand Prix: