Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen secured pole position for the sprint race at the U.S. Grand Prix, while McLaren’s Lando Norris faced a challenging fourth-place qualification. This result could halt Norris’s momentum in the tight title race as he aims to close the gap to Verstappen in the championship.
Verstappen, who last year won both the 100km sprint and Sunday grand prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, lapped with a fastest time of one minute 32.833 seconds – 0.012 quicker than Russell who finished second. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top 3 for Saturday’s sprint race.
Trailing the Dutchman by 52 points in the championship with six Grands Prix, including three sprints left, Norris qualified at a disappointing fourth. He will line up ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg in the sprint race. Lewis Hamilton will start the race from seventh place for Mercedes, ahead of Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, who secured a commendable eighth. Rounding out the top ten are Yuki Tsunoda from RB and Franco Colapinto from Williams.
“The whole day, the car was working well. I’m happy to be first, it’s been a while, so happy with today,” Verstappen said after the Sprint qualifying. “This track is amazing to drive. With new Tarmac, a little bit of old, then the bumps, it’s not easy but it’s fun.”
“We will do the best we can in the sprint, but we also know the most points are available on Sunday, so that’s where we really want to do well,” he added.
Our top three in #F1Sprint qualifying 👀
🥇 Verstappen
🥈 Russell
🥉 Leclerc #F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/iFpCABjNsS— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2024
While the Dutchman claimed the pole position, his teammate Sergio Perez faced disappointment by being eliminated in SQ2 after failing to secure a competitive lap, leaving him in P11, just ahead of Pierre Gasly in the Alpine on the sixth row. Aston Martin also had a tough session, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing in 13th and 14th places, respectively. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson returned to the grid for Red Bull, qualifying 15th after stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo.
The drama unfolded in SQ1 when Oscar Piastri had his final lap time invalidated for exceeding track limits at Turn 19, resulting in a P16 finish and an early exit from the session. Alex Albon also encountered issues, spinning in his Williams and ending up 18th without the opportunity to improve his time.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
