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Formula 1's sprint race format remains divisive but few can argue the United States Grand Prix sprint race was anything short of thrilling.
Battles raged throughout the field for all of the 18 laps, leaving behind plenty of winners and losers.
Loser: Lando Norris's title hopes
Lando Norris hung onto third in the sprint despite some very stubborn defending on the last lap, as the stewards deemed his driving not to be “erratic” even if Leclerc and Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur thought differently of the situation.
The title contender managed to pull off a stellar start, jumping from fourth to second at George Russell’s expense, but things unravelled on the final lap when he made another costly error.
Norris locked up at Turn 1 to let Sainz by for second place and, with his tyres now searing hot, he had Leclerc right behind him down the back straight. But Norris placed his car right in the middle of the racing line through Turns 15 and 16.
He was fortunate not to get rear-ended by the Ferrari and retain his third place finish, but more painful for Norris will be the fact that his medium tyres just couldn’t hang on - and he made a glaring mistake in defence of second on the very final lap of the sprint.
Furthermore, Norris lost two more points in the title fight - with Verstappen now 54 ahead. - Samarth Kanal
Winner: Max Verstappen
An assured performance from the driver who has won more than two-thirds of the F1 sprints so far: Max Verstappen was at his best on Saturday.
Aware of the risk that the second-place starter - in this case George Russell - could usurp the pole-sitter at COTA, Verstappen got away swiftly from pole and then covered off the inside line stubbornly.
From then on, he managed the gap to Lando Norris, who seemed to churn through his tyres in an attempt to hang onto the Red Bull, and Verstappen cruised to victory.
Clean air did the Dutchman a few favours but he earned that privilege with pole on Friday, and while others like Norris made mistakes late on, Verstappen kept it clean to pick up eight points.
Pity he dislikes the format so much… - SK
Loser: Sergio Perez
Much of the damage for Perez was done in qualifying yesterday so points were always going to be a long shot.
But there was something particularly painful about Perez finishing outside the points on the day when Verstappen returned Red Bull to winning ways for the first time in four months.
If Perez was the only RB20 in the race, you'd have zero idea that Red Bull has probably just taken an all-important step forward. - Josh Suttill
Winner: Haas
Haas vaulted into sixth place in the constructors' championship with the perfect sprint race and debut for its Toyota partnership.
It was never going to have the pace to match the top six so it effectively scored a one-two in F1's Class B to scoop three points.
Seventh place is the highest Kevin Magnussen has finished an F1 race in over two years with Nico Hulkenberg overcoming Yuki Tsunoda to complete Haas's first-ever double points finish in an F1 sprint race. - JS
Loser: Oscar Piastri and McLaren
All of the same Austin-specific criticism levelled at Perez you have to level at Piastri too.
Yes there was the laptime deletion caveat for Piastri, so it wasn't a case of a massive pace deficit to his team-mate like Perez, but the outcome is the same, a big fat zero.
He had to get his elbows out but that burned him with the five second penalty for forcing Pierre Gasly off the track. It was a bit of a soft penalty but others managed the same move without incurring the wrath of the stewards.
On a disappointing day for Norris, his team-mate only added to McLaren's disheartenment. - JS
Winner: Carlos Sainz
The Ferraris hassled Russell - and each other - in Saturday's sprint.
Carlos Sainz was right on the limit in his battle with Charles Leclerc and the latter driver even attempted to call off the attack over the radio, but the outgoing Ferrari driver kept on pushing and passed his team-mate for what seemed to be third place.
At the end of the race, Sainz pounced on a late lock-up from Norris to take second place: a result that would be a statement on Sunday.
Leclerc meanwhile settled for fourth having been caught behind Norris’s McLaren at the very end of that final lap. It could well have been second and third for Ferrari, but it was a useful points haul nonetheless. - SK
Loser: RB
Holding off Haas for sixth in the points was always going to be a hard task for RB in the final six weekends, but it probably didn't expect to lose that position so quickly.
Despite some heroic efforts from Tsunoda, the RB just wasn't fast enough yet again despite some new upgrades in Austin.
Liam Lawson also went backwards rather than forwards (15th to 16th) too, indicating it's going to be an extremely tall order for RB to reverse those positions anytime soon. - JS
Winner: Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull audition
Yuki Tsunoda came into the weekend admitting he needs to be close to perfect for Red Bull to finally stop overlooking him for promotion to Red Bull Racing.
He wasn't note-perfect in the sprint but it was a pretty good audition to Red Bull that he can be Max Verstappen's rear gunner.
His stern defence against both Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri were good testaments of his racecraft and given how poor the race pace of the VCARB001 continues to look, Tsunoda brought it home 11th from ninth on the grid, just two places behind Perez and far ahead of Lawson is a strong start to the 2025 shootout that he may not be part of. - JS
Loser: Mercedes
Points on Saturday but little else to cheer about in the sprint for Mercedes.
Russell was easily passed by Norris at the start but more concerning to him will be the fact that he lost ground to the Ferraris late in the sprint to end up fifth, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton in a lonely sixth.
Mercedes’s punishing rear tyre wear hurt it on Saturday and put it in no man’s land - well behind Verstappen and nowhere near the McLaren of Norris and neither Ferrari.
That scenario could well repeat itself on Sunday. - SK
