Pakistan, Oct. 19 -- Four-time champion Max Verstappen maintained the pressure on McLaren's nerve-wracked title duellists on Friday when he beat them both to claim pole position for Saturday's sprint race at the United States Grand Prix.

The 28-year-old Dutchman left his best lap to the last seconds of a closely contested session when he outpaced Lando Norris by 0.071 seconds, consigning the Briton to second on the grid alongside him.

Series leader Oscar Piastri was third in the second McLaren, three-tenths adrift of the pole lap, as he continued to struggle to recreate the form that has carried him 22 points clear of Norris and 63 beyond Verstappen in the championship.

"Yes, that was a nice qualifying" a satisfied Verstappen said with...