Verstappen ready to overtake: 'If that works I'll have a good race'

Max Verstappen is looking forward to the United States Grand Prix with great confidence. At the drivers' parade, Verstappen expressed some thoughts on his chances in the race.

Verstappen will start the F1 United States Grand Prix from sixth place. During Friday's qualifying, Verstappen lost his fastest lap by going over the track limits. This meant no 11th pole position for Verstappen but a place on the third row of the grid.

"I am very much looking forward to it. Yesterday (Saturday) was a good day. Today (Sunday) we will of course start from a bit further back, but if we can replicate yesterday's race pace, we will have a good race,'' said Verstappen ahead of the Grand Prix.

It's not surprising that Verstappen gained a lot of confidence from the sprint race. In GPblog's analysis, the Dutchman proved to be as much as half a second faster per lap than his nearest rival Lewis Hamilton. The competition especially struggled much more with tyre wear, while Verstappen hardly seemed to suffer from that.

Finally, Verstappen was also asked briefly about the fans around the Circuit of the Americas. "Yes, very nice. Good weather now too. Looking forward to a good race, but also to seeing the crowd go absolutely wild," the three-time world champion concluded.