Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Sprint at the US Grand Prix after clocking the fastest time during Sprint Qualifying, finishing just over a hundredth of a second ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took third, while Lando Norris from McLaren completed the top four.
It was a disappointing session for Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez, who ended up 11th after being eliminated in SQ2. Similarly, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri faced early elimination in Q1, finishing 16th.
During the final segment of SQ3, it appeared Russell might clinch a surprising top spot with his lap time of 1:32.845. However, Verstappen, among the last drivers on track, managed to outperform him by 0.012 seconds, claiming the first position. Carlos Sainz secured fifth place, followed by Nico Hülkenberg of Haas in sixth, who finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton expressed frustration over Mercedes’ strategy of sending him out early in the session. Kevin Magnussen finished eighth, and Yuki Tsunoda took ninth for RB, while Franco Colapinto, representing Williams, rounded out the top ten.
Pérez had the worst luck in SQ2, failing to make it past the session after Tsunoda’s late improvement consigned him to 11th place. Pierre Gasly finished 12th for Alpine, while both Aston Martin drivers, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, were eliminated in 14th and 15th places after suffering track limit issues. Liam Lawson also had his final lap deleted.
In SQ1, major eliminations included Piastri, whose time was disqualified for exceeding track limits, and Alex Albon, who spun out in a dramatic 360-degree maneuver. Piastri ended up 16th, while Albon was 18th, ahead of Sauber drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Here are the results of the Sprint Qualifying for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) – 1’32.833
2. George Russell (Mercedes) – 1’32.845
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1’33.059
4. Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes) – 1’33.083
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 1’33.089
6. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas/Ferrari) – 1’33.183
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 1’33.378
8. Kevin Magnussen (Haas/Ferrari) – 1’33.398
9. Yuki Tsunoda (RB/Honda RBPT) – 1’33.802
10. Franco Colapinto (Williams/Mercedes) – 1’34.406
11. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) – 1’34.244
12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Renault) – 1’34.363
13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Mercedes) – No time
14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Mercedes) – No time
15. Liam Lawson (RB/Honda RBPT) – No time
16. Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes) – 1’34.881
17. Esteban Ocon (Alpine/Renault) – 1’34.917
18. Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes) – 1’35.054
19. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber/Ferrari) – 1’35.148
20. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber/Ferrari) – 1’36.472