Max Verstappen reminded everyone why he’s the benchmark in Formula 1 qualifying, edging out both McLarens to claim pole position for Saturday’s Sprint event at the United States Grand Prix.
Under warm Texas skies, the Red Bull driver delivered a blistering lap of 1m32.143s to deny Lando Norris by just 0.071s, combining a razor-sharp opening sector with a dominant finish through Austin’s flowing final corners.
Oscar Piastri, who had looked strong through much of the session, was unable to stitch together a clean final lap and settled for third, four-tenths down on the reigning world champion.
Verstappen’s achievement marked a return to form after he had looked marginally off balance in free practice and in earlier segments of qualifying but the Red Bull charger found his rhythm when it mattered most.
Hulkenberg Stars with Surprise Fourth
Behind the top three, the star of the session was undoubtedly Nico Hulkenberg. The veteran Sauber driver stunned the paddock by converting his eye-catching practice pace into an impressive fourth on the Sprint grid.
His late run on soft tyres left him comfortably clear of the chasing pack, giving Sauber one of its most competitive qualifying results in recent memory.
Mercedes’ George Russell secured fifth, unable to match Hulkenberg’s late-sector speed, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso impressed once again with a tidy lap to grab sixth.
Carlos Sainz, rebounding from a gearbox issue that curtailed his running in FP1, managed a solid seventh for Williams, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari.
Alex Albon continued Williams’ strong showing by splitting the Ferraris in ninth, leaving Charles Leclerc to round out the top ten after another subdued qualifying performance for the Scuderia.
McLaren Leads the Way Early On
Before Verstappen’s late strike, it had been McLaren setting the pace. Norris topped the second segment of Sprint Qualifying with a 1m33.033s, leading Verstappen, Piastri, and Russell as the frontrunners switched to medium tyres.
Ferrari endured a much more nervous middle phase, with both Hamilton and Leclerc flirting with elimination after their first runs. Leclerc narrowly escaped the drop zone with a last-minute improvement to eighth, leaving Hamilton to scrape through in tenth by just 0.006s.
That slender margin came at the expense of Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who lost time with a lock-up on his final flyer. The Italian was visibly frustrated to miss out by such a fine margin, finishing 11th.
Behind him, Isack Hadjar was 12th for Racing Bulls, ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Liam Lawson’s session ended in disappointment, his final lap compromised by traffic and a trip over the white lines at Turn 19, leaving him stranded in 15th.
Chaos in Q1 as Tsunoda and Haas Falter
The first stage of qualifying was its usual melee, with drivers queuing up in the final minutes to secure track position for a clean lap. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was the most high-profile casualty, eliminated in 18th after squabbling with teammate Lawson on his out-lap and failing to start a final flyer before the clock hit zero.
Oliver Bearman was the first to miss the cut in 16th, followed by Franco Colapinto, who improved on his last run but not enough to escape the drop zone. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly narrowly survived, while Esteban Ocon couldn’t replicate his teammate’s effort and ended up 19th.
Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto brought up the rear after a frustrating session in which both his timed laps were deleted for track limits. The Brazilian never made it to the line for a final attempt, leaving him rooted to 20th.
Verstappen Firmly in Control
With Sprint pole secured, Verstappen once again finds himself in control heading into Saturday’s race. McLaren, however, will take heart from its continued pace – particularly Norris, who came within a tenth of upsetting the Red Bull juggernaut.
For the rest of the field, Hulkenberg’s heroics and Ferrari’s struggles summed up a frenetic qualifying hour that promises more intrigue in the Sprint itself – and perhaps another Texas showdown at the front.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
