F1

Max Verstappen has slight edge on title rival Lando Norris in Austin practice

Carlos Sainz took top spot ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Max Verstappen held the edge in the only practice session
Max Verstappen held the edge in the only practice session (David Davies/PA)
By Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent, Austin

Lando Norris trailed championship rival Max Verstappen in practice for the US Grand Prix.

Norris, who is 52 points behind Verstappen heading into the remaining six rounds, finished fourth, one spot behind Red Bull’s Verstappen at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas.

Carlos Sainz took top spot ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc in the sole practice session prior to qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race.

Norris claimed an emphatic win at the previous race in Singapore to keep the pressure on Verstappen as the British driver bids to claim a first world crown.

But it was Verstappen who held a narrow early advantage in practice here after he finished 0.013 seconds clear of his McLaren rival. Norris’s team-mate Oscar Piastri finished fifth, while Sergio Perez was only 16th in the second Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton has enjoyed a number of strong performances in Austin, winning at this venue a record five times.

However, the seven-time world champion could manage only sixth, 0.361 sec off the pace, and one spot ahead of George Russell in the other Mercedes.

Both Hamilton and Russell spun off the track but managed to get back to the pits without sustaining any damage.

Elsewhere, Liam Lawson, who has replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB, finished 13th – three places behind team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Qualifying for Saturday’s shortened race takes place at 1630 local time (2230BST).