Norris under investigation after Leclerc complaint

Lando Norris is under investigation for driving erratically during the F1 Sprint at the Circuit of the Americas, where he finished in third. 

The McLaren driver started the sprint in fourth but quickly progressed into second on the exit of the first corner. 

Despite a positive start, he was unable to catch Max Verstappen, who cruised to victory and extended his lead in the F1 drivers' title to 54 points over the Briton. 

Norris struggled with his tyres in the closing laps and was caught by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. On the final lap, Norris was overtaken by Sainz after locking-up into the first corner. 

Towards the end of the lap at Turn 15, Norris and Leclerc almost made contact, with the McLaren driver under investigation for driving erratically in that battle. 

Leclerc quickly complained over the radio about Norris' defence. When asked in the post-sprint press conference about the investigation, Norris accepted that it made sense. 

"Oh, the one where you have to brake and turn the whole way round. Makes sense to be honest," he said.

This article has now been superseded by the stewards' verdict - please click here.

Norris 'happy' with P3

After overtaking Leclerc and George Russell at the first corner, Norris' sprint was largely uneventful until the final lap. 

He was pleased with how the 19-lap race went, although conceded that he lost all front tyre grip. 

"It was a good race. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with how things ended up," said Norris. "It was a tough one. 

"I thought I could maybe hang onto second, but Carlos did a good job, and my front tyres were completely finished.

"There was not a lot I could do. Whether I stayed straight or completely defended or not, I'm pretty sure I would have lost the position to Carlos. A disappointing end but I'm happy with the race result and a good amount of results."

A difficulty for Norris this season has been his race starts, which have been inconsistent. However, on this occasion, he made an excellent getaway, much to his delight. 

Despite his strong start, he accepted that Verstappen's and Ferrari's pace was stronger than his. 

"There have been a few races where the starts have been bad, but otherwise they've been good, and today was a good start again and a good first corner.

"I did the most I could. I don't think we had the pace on Max or the Ferraris but I'm happy to finish third."