Verstappen takes US Grand Prix sprint pole by pipping Russell
18th October 2024Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will return to pole position, for the United States Grand Prix sprint race, as the Dutchman pipped Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.012s.
Feature image credit: Red Bull Content Pool
The Sprint format has returned for the first time since Austria, back in June, to mark the fourth sprint event of the season ahead of the final two sprint weekends in Brazil and Qatar.
Following a single practice session, drivers continued to push the limits with many drivers – including McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – exceeding track limits, and even causing Williams’ Alexander Albon to spin at the penultimate corner.
However, Verstappen clinched the top spot over one-hundredth of a second against Russell to take home his first pole position – of any kind – since Austria this year.
Carlos Sainz was fastest in FP1, at the Circuit of the Americas, ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc.#F1 / #USGP https://t.co/HOt5mmUTiJ
— Apex Motorsports (@ApexMSPRT) October 18, 2024
So who will start where?
Verstappen will line up in pole position on Saturday’s sprint, ahead of the main Grand Prix qualifying session and he will have Russell for company, alongside him on the front row.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s championship contender, Lando Norris will share the second row, in third and fourth respectively. Despite being fastest in Free Practice, Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz will round out the top five.
The Haas duo of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen will start the sprint in sixth and eighth, with Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton sandwiched in between the two.
VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda completed the session in ninth ahead of Williams’ Franco Colapinto (in 10th) who had competed in his first-ever sprint qualifying session, having replaced Logan Sargeant.
The FIA have released a statement, ahead of the United States GP, confirming Oscar Piastri’s car was chosen randomly for more extensive inspections after the Singapore GP.#F1 / #USGrandPrix / #USGP https://t.co/u4RnOjap8Z
— Apex Motorsports (@ApexMSPRT) October 17, 2024
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was the leading driver inside the bottom 10, in 11th place, and will be joined by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in 12th.
However, it was a disappointing session for the two Aston Martin drivers who will start the sprint in 13th and 14th. At the same time, VCARB’s Liam Lawson – who is in to replace Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of the season – will start his first race back in F1 down in 15th.
It was heartbreak for the championship leaders, McLaren, as they had to wave goodbye to Oscar Piastri as the Australian exceeded track limits at the penultimate corner. This dropped the Aussie down to 16th for the sprint.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Albon and both Kick Sauber’s of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were knocked out of the first third of sprint qualifying, down in 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th respectively.
Read more Formula 1 here:
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- FIA issue statement on Oscar Piastri car ahead of US Grand Prix
- Liam Lawson ‘super excited’ for F1 return at US Grand Prix
- McLaren expecting ‘close competition’ at US Grand Prix
- McLaren set to run second edition of stunning Chrome livery at US Grand Prix
- Alpine F1 reveal Indiana Jones-inspired livery for US Grand Prix
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
