Lando Norris led the pack early, from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Verstappen, before the Red Bull star and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton had a battle up the front.

Norris’ Aussie teammate Oscar Piastri enjoyed a stellar start, rising four places in the opening exchanges to sit on the gearbox of Verstappen – but disaster struck soon after, and he was forced to retire after just 11 laps.

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7.05AM: MCLAREN’S BOLD GAMBLE FORCES MAX SHAKE-UP

McLaren has thrown down a challenge to Red Bull and Max Verstappen by pitting Norris after just 17 laps on his second set of tyres.

With Verstappen breaking away in the lead, McLaren gambled to pit Norris 21 laps from the finish.

And Red Bull called their bluff, following into the pits on the next lap.

We could be on for a wild finish with Hamilton still on-track and now taking over the lead of the race.

While the rest of the F1 world might feel Verstappen’s win a fait accompli after he wrested the lead from Norris, the man himself appears to be feeling the heat in the cockpit.

“Mate these brakes are so s**t compared to yesterday,” bemoaned Verstappen over the Red Bull radio.

“What a piece of s**t.”

6.50AM: CAN LANDO TOPPLE THE UNSTOPPPABLE?

McLaren is positioning Lando Norris for a breakthrough Formula One victory and there is a genuine feeling on the pit wall he can outlast the flying Red Bull of the world champion elect, Verstappen.

After flying out of the blocks to hit the lead on the opening lap of the US Grand Prix, Norris had dictated proceedings up until Verstappen – from third – pitted for a fresh set of medium tyres.

That confirmed Red Bull had moved to a two-stop strategy and set in motion a chain reaction that sent Norris into the pits on the following lap.

But at half race distance Verstappen sits high on the gear box of Norris, who was told by the pit wall: “Our race is with Verstappen”.

Can the young Briton hold his nerve as the shark circles in the water?

It now looks a race in two for the chequered flag after Mercedes’ second guessing hamstrung Lewis Hamilton’s race.

When Hamilton did enter the pits it was a slow 3.6 second stop, compounding his frustration.

If Norris can hold on it would be a famous victory considering Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance at COTA.

The Dutchman has won each of the past two US Grand Prix and the Sprint Race a day earlier.

Norris, in his 100th F1 start, has never stood on the top step of the podium.

6.40AM: VERSTAPPEN SURGES AS RICCIARDO EYES POINTS

The shark is in the water.

After 22 laps, Max Verstappen is officially on the hunt.

The Flying Dutchman made the first chess move of the Grand Prix, pitting for mediums – confirming a two-stop strategy for Red Bull.

That set off a chain of events with race leader Lando Norris heading into the pits the following lap.

But incredibly Lewis Hamilton chose to stay out.

Mercedes appears ready to gamble on a one-stop strategy in its bid to hand Hamilton his first race victory since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

It sets up a juicy middle section of the race, with all of Verstappen, Norris and Hamilton running differing strategies.

Meanwhile the returning Daniel Ricciardo has quietly enjoyed a stellar start to his race, rising into eighth – albeit with the retirements of Piastri and Ocon – having started 15th on the grid.

The affable Aussie could be on for a shock points finish at COTA on his return from a broken hand.

6.25AM: DISASTER AS PIASTRI FORCED TO RETIRE

A major blow for Aussie rookie Oscar Piastri who was forced to retire his car on Lap 11.

Piastri had started strongly rising four places to sit in sixth after the early exchanges – seemingly defying a coming together with the Alpine of Esteban Ocon.

But not long after Ocon went into the pits to end his day, Piastri was told to join him.

The young Aussie began tumbling down the order, ceding track position to Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly, which prompted a radio call from the pit wall informing him he had to retire the car.

It brings to an end a stunning run of form for Piastri, who stood on the podium in both Qatar and Japan.

6.15AM: BOXING GREAT’S FAILED BLESSING

Anthony Joshua’s pre-race blessing clearly fell on deaf ears for Alpine, with Esteban Ocon forced to retire after sustaining damage following contact with Piastri during the opening jostle.

The British boxing champion hit the airwaves before the race to wish Ocon and Pierre Gasly good luck.

“Anthony Joshua here. I’m just wishing you well. God Bless you, we’re all behind you.”

Joshua was part of a conglomerate of sports stars including NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce who invested in Alpine last week.

But it wasn’t the start the French outfit was hoping for, with the unlucky Ocon forced to retire for the third time in five races.

6.05AM: PIASTRI’S DREAM START AS F1 GUN BUTCHERS START

Is Lando Norris on for a long-awaited maiden race victory?

In his 100th career Formula One start, the popular McLaren driver leads the US Grand Prix ahead of the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after an entertaining opening stanza at COTA.

Leclerc started on pole but it was Norris who stole all eyes at the start, throwing his McLaren into the lead by the first turn and powering away from the Ferrari.

In two laps the Briton had already opened up a two-second gap on Leclerc.

Aussie teammate Oscar Piastri also enjoyed a stellar start, rising four places in the opening exchanges to sit on the gearbox of recently crowned world champion Max Verstappen.

After a diabolical sprint race the day before, Piastri has eyes on continuing his impressive form of recent weeks.

5.30AM: PIASTRI TO OVERCOME ‘BUMPS IN THE ROAD’

Welcome to our coverage of the United States Grand Prix from Texas – where there’s plenty of storylines to keep an eye on this morning.

Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri are starting back on the grid, but of much greater surprise is Max Verstappen who qualified sixth fastest.

Piastri, who will start 10th on track, conceded his work in the Saturday sprint race left something to be desired.

“Wasn’t the best of days yesterday, we’ll try to make up for it – I think we can make some progress,” he said.

Mentor and former Australian F1 star Mark Webber was optimistic.

“There’s been a few bumps in the road, first year, sprint race, new experience,” Webber said.

“He’s had some extraordinary weekends this year… yesterday was tricky for him.”

5AM: CAN VERSTAPPEN BE STOPPED?

Newly-crowned world champion Max Verstappen added eight more points to his title-winning tally when he cruised to victory for Red Bull in the sprint race at the United States Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old Dutchman led unchallenged from pole position to chequered flag to finish 9.465 seconds clear of revitalised seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Charles Leclerc came home third for Ferrari, 17.997 adrift.

It was Verstappen’s third sprint race win of the season and buoyed his prospects for another triumph in Sunday’s Grand Prix race when he will start from sixth on the grid after having his best qualifying lap deleted for exceeding track limits.

Lando Norris maintained McLaren’s much-improved form by taking a strong fourth place ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull and Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari. Norris was less than a second behind Leclerc at the finish.

George Russell finished seventh in the second Mercedes, but he was relegated to eighth after taking a five-second penalty, thus elevating Pierre Gasly of Alpine to seventh.

Will anyone be able to catch Verstappen this morning? Follow the race and all the latest news in our live coverage below.

Originally published as United States Grand Prix: Follow all the latest news and results from Austin