The 2023 US Grand Prix Sprint Race, took place at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. It saw Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing clinch the victory.
This makes it his third sprint race win of the year. It makes him the first driver to win three sprints in a single season.
As usual he did so in style by finishing just under 10 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen’s performance included his aggressive defense against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into Turn 1. He pushed Leclerc wide before turn one, allowing Hamilton to squeeze past on the inside.
Lewis Hamilton moved into second place despite having to leave the track during his overtake on Charles Leclerc. Race control deemed it not worthy of investigation.
Charles Leclerc secured the third spot on the podium, ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren and Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing.
F1Worldwide.com recommends the following articles.
- United States Grand Prix Circuit – COTA Layout
- The Ultimate Guide to the United States GP and the Circuit of the Americas
- US GP Qualifying
Some key incidents during the race included George Russell’s off-track overtake on Oscar Piastri. This earned Russell a five-second time penalty. Contrasting with his recent success in Qatar, it was a less favorable outing for Oscar Piastri, who finished in 10th place.
Here are the top ten positions from the Sprint Race:
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing)
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Alexander Albon (Williams)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren).
The Final Sprint Race Results
The final results for the whole field are listed below.
| Position | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 19 | 31:30.8 | 8 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | MERCEDES | 19 | +9.465s | 7 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | FERRARI | 19 | +17.987s | 6 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 19 | +18.863s | 5 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 19 | +22.928s | 4 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz | FERRARI | 19 | +28.307s | 3 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | ALPINE RENAULT | 19 | +32.403s | 2 |
| 8 | George Russell | MERCEDES | 19 | +34.250s | 1 |
| 9 | Alexander Albon | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 19 | +34.567s | 0 |
| 10 | Oscar Piastri | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 19 | +42.403s | 0 |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon | ALPINE RENAULT | 19 | +44.986s | 0 |
| 12 | Daniel Ricciardo | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 19 | +45.509s | 0 |
| 13 | Fernando Alonso | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 19 | +49.086s | 0 |
| 14 | Yuki Tsunoda | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 19 | +49.733s | 0 |
| 15 | Nico Hulkenberg | HAAS FERRARI | 19 | +56.650s | 0 |
| 16 | Valtteri Bottas | ALFA ROMEO FERRARI | 19 | +64.401s | 0 |
| 17 | Zhou Guanyu | ALFA ROMEO FERRARI | 19 | +67.972s | 0 |
| 18 | Kevin Magnussen | HAAS FERRARI | 19 | +71.122s | 0 |
| 19 | Logan Sargeant | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 19 | +71.449s | 0 |
| NC | Lance Stroll | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 16 | DNF | 0 |
The results of the Sprint Race provided an adrenaline-pumped precursor to the main event.
The new floor on the Mercedes seems to be working well, and while the car is still slower than the Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton seems a lot more comfortable.
I disagree with you – apart from the 1st corner race this was about as exciting as watching paint dry. Please take Sprints off th menu for next year’s US GP!