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Red Bull's Max Verstappen emerged victorious in the Sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday, outpacing the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Verstappen maintained his lead from the start, but Norris briefly overtook him with a bold move on Lap 5. However, Verstappen swiftly regained the position, allowing Piastri to pass Norris.Behind the top three, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton sandwiched Carlos Sainz, followed by Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez. Sainz made a decisive move on Russell at Turn 4, while Hamilton held off Leclerc, Perez, Kevin Magnussen, and Lance Stroll.Norris, determined to challenge Verstappen, closed in on the Red Bull and overtook him at Turn 3. But Verstappen responded with a lunge at Turn 4, where Norris' exit was compromised, allowing Piastri to slip past.Verstappen commented on his performance, stating, "It was a good first lap, but once the DRS opens, it's hard to get out of it. A few exciting battles, but once we cleared the DRS, I could do a bit more of my own race."He acknowledged the challenge posed by McLaren, saying, "They have two cars pushing flat-out. We had to work for it. A few things to think about where we could do better, especially for tomorrow."The Sprint race sets the grid for Sunday's main event, where Verstappen will aim to extend his championship lead. The longer race distance and tire wear will present additional challenges, making the outcome unpredictable.

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the opening free practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, edging out McLaren's Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.029 seconds. Hamilton's Mercedes teammate, George Russell, finished third, followed by Lando Norris in the second McLaren.Local favorite Charles Leclerc, driving for Ferrari, placed fifth, ahead of two-time champion Fernando Alonso and his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll. The session was interrupted by a late red flag after Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu lost control of his Sauber and crashed, disrupting teams' plans to switch to soft tires.Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, struggled in his Red Bull car and finished 11th, 0.815 seconds off the pace. Verstappen complained about the car's handling on the bumpy Monaco circuit, which he had previously described as "one of the more difficult" for his team.McLaren unveiled a striking yellow and green livery as a tribute to the late Ayrton Senna, who won the Monaco Grand Prix six times. The session began with most teams opting for hard tires, but Piastri set the early pace on softs. Norris and Leclerc traded fastest laps before Hamilton and Russell moved up the order on softs.Hamilton's fastest lap of 1:12.169 put him at the top of the timesheets before Zhou Guanyu's crash triggered the red flag. The incident also caused damage to Leclerc's Ferrari, forcing him to pit for repairs.

Max Verstappen's dominance in qualifying continued at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, as he secured his eighth consecutive pole position, equaling the record set by the legendary Ayrton Senna. The Red Bull driver's blistering lap time of 1:14.746 was a testament to his exceptional talent and the team's unwavering performance.Verstappen's achievement was particularly poignant, coming three decades after Senna's tragic death at the same circuit. "It's a great start to the year but also very special 30 years since he passed away at this track," said Verstappen. "Of course, very pleased to get pole here and in a way it's a nice memory to him."Oscar Piastri, in his McLaren, came tantalizingly close to snatching pole from Verstappen, posting a time just 0.074 seconds slower. The Australian's impressive performance was a testament to his growing confidence and the team's progress.Lando Norris, Piastri's teammate and the winner of the previous race in Miami, secured third place, followed by Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. Carlos Sainz and George Russell rounded out the top six, while Yuki Tsunoda, Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo, and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.Sergio Perez, Verstappen's teammate, suffered a disappointing qualifying session, failing to make it past Q2. The Mexican's frustration was evident as he muttered "what a mess" over the team radio.Piastri, despite narrowly missing out on pole, was thrilled with his performance. "My lap was a bit scruff in the final corner, but it is so difficult to do a perfect lap at this circuit," he said. "But I'm very happy."Norris, who claimed his maiden victory two weeks ago, acknowledged the tight competition. "P3 is not a bad job and both of us are within a tenth of P1, so it is all about tiny margins," he said. "We've had a good day and a good weekend so far."Verstappen's pole position sets the stage for an exciting race on Sunday, as he aims to extend his winning streak and further cement his dominance in Formula 1.