Max Verstappen is gearing up for a fierce fight in Saturday's Sprint at the US Grand Prix, with McLaren rivals closing in.
Verstappen secured his third consecutive Sprint pole at the Circuit of The Americas, beating McLaren's Lando Norris by 0.071 seconds.
"It's been a nice qualifying," Verstappen said. "Throughout all of the segments, we were quite close. It was just about putting it all together at the end, when it matters most, which is not easy because you go to the soft compound with no reference."
Despite his strong qualifying performance, Verstappen anticipates a tough battle in the Sprint.
Author's summary: Verstappen faces tough Sprint showdown.