P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton described Red Bull’s pace at the United States Grand Prix as “undeniable at the moment” as he finished over nine seconds behind Max Verstappen in the sprint race.
Hamilton secured a second-place finish in the 19-lap race, marking his best result in the sprint format since its debut at Silverstone in 2021. He was able to stay within DRS range of Verstappen for the first six laps before falling back. Hamilton expressed satisfaction with Mercedes’ progress, but acknowledged that they still have a long way to go to challenge Verstappen seriously. Looking ahead to the main event on Sunday, Hamilton will start from third position, with Charles Leclerc on pole and Lando Norris in second. Verstappen will start from sixth position due to an invalidated qualifying lap. Hamilton expects a close battle with Verstappen and the other front-runners and hopes to keep Verstappen at bay.
Source: Crash
