F1 – Verstappen tops Sprint qualifying in Austin

Max Verstappen will start the Sprint at the US Grand Prix from the front of the grid after setting the fastest time of Sprint Qualifying just over one hundredth of a second ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, with Charles Leclerc in P3 for Ferrari ahead of title challenging McLaren driver Lando Norris.

However, it was a tough afternoon for Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Pérez who exited the session at the end of SQ2 in P11 and for McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who was eliminated in Q1 in P16. 

In the Soft tyre SQ3 shootout at the end of the session it looked like Russell had done enough to seal a surprise top spot with a lap of 1:32.845 that kept him ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Norris and Carlos Sainz. However, Verstappen was one of the last on track and the Dutchman, who last topped a qualifying session with Sprint supremacy in Austria, went 0.012s quicker to take P1. 

With Sainz in fifth, sixth place went to Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg who finished almost two tenths of a second clear of Lewis Hamilton who lamented Mercedes’ decision to send him out on track early in the final segment. Kevin Magnussen was eighth on a good afternoon for Haas, while Yuki Tsunoda was ninth for RB ahead of Franco Colapinto who impressed again at Williams. 

Pérez was the biggest faller in SQ2. The Mexican’s final lap was only good enough for 10th and when Tsunoda put in a good improvement, Pérez was ruled out of the final segment.

Pierre Gasly took 12th for Alpine and a flurry of track limits infringements at the end of Sq2 meant that Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso went out in 14th and 15th ahead of Liam Lawson who also had his final lap deleted. 

The major eliminations of SQ1 were Piastri whose final time was deleted for going beyond track limits in Turn 19 on his final tour and Alex Albon who had a lurid, 360-degree spin as he came out of the penultimate corner on his final flier. Piatsri exited in P16 ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, while Albon went out in P18 ahead of the Saubers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. 

2024 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix – Sprint Qualiyfing 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'32.833  3 213.7902 George Russell Mercedes 1'32.845 0.012 0.013 3 213.7623 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1'33.059 0.226 0.243 3 213.2714 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1'33.083 0.250 0.269 3 213.2165 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1'33.089 0.256 0.276 3 213.2026 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1'33.183 0.350 0.377 3 212.9877 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1'33.378 0.545 0.587 3 212.5428 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1'33.398 0.565 0.609 3 212.4979 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1'33.802 0.969 1.044 3 211.58110 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1'34.406 1.573 1.694 5 210.22811 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'34.244 0.970 1.040 3 210.58912 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1'34.363 1.089 1.168 3 210.32313 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes -  3 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes -  3 15 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT -  3 16 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1'34.881 1.234 1.318 6 209.17517 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1'34.917 1.270 1.356 6 209.09618 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1'35.054 1.407 1.502 6 208.79519 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1'35.148 1.501 1.603 6 208.58820 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1'36.472 2.825 3.017 6 205.726