By Alan Baldwin

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) -Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beat McLaren’s Lando Norris to pole position for the U.S. Grand Prix on Saturday as Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri qualified only sixth.

Australian Piastri is 22 points clear of teammate Norris, and 55 ahead of Verstappen, ahead of Sunday’s race at the Circuit of the Americas but risks having his margin slashed.

Verstappen’s bid for a fifth successive title, once dismissed as impossible, is gaining strength after he also won the Saturday sprint race from pole position while both McLarens crashed out.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, last year’s winner in Austin, qualified third fastest and shares the second row with Mercedes’ George Russell, winner of the previous round in Singapore.

Verstappen needed only on

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