F1 Today: Verstappen rules in COTA, as Piastri makes worrying post-quali admission

If eyebrows were raised about Verstappen and the pace of the Red Bull Racing team last time out in Singapore, the Dutch driver indeed silenced those iota of doubt with his incredible performance at the United States Grand Prix weekend.

The four-time world champion converted his sprint pole into victory before storming to pole position for Sunday’s race. Verstappen, despite not having his final run in Q3, was able to finish ahead of second-place Lando Norris by almost three-tenths of a second.

Norris, who was involved in early-lap chaos during the Sprint in COTA, finished ahead of Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who completed the top three in qualifying.

Verstappen will now shift focus to clinching his first win at the American circuit since his triumph during the 2023 campaign when the lights go out on Sunday.

While Red Bull and Verstappen continue to find their rhythm, championship leader Oscar Piastri and the McLaren team appear to be experiencing a dip, particularly following the resumption of the second-half campaign.

This subtle decline appears to have carried over to Austin, with Piastri stressing that the sixth place he achieved in COTA was the best he could manage on the evening.

The McLaren driver detailed how he has continued to struggle to find his rhythm, while reiterating the fact that he made no mistakes of his own despite recording a time only quick enough for sixth place in qualifying.

The Australian also touched on the pace of the Red Bull team, highlighting how quick they have been throughout the weekend.

Piastri has endured a torrid run over recent races and has not recorded a victory since his outing at the Dutch Grand Prix.

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