Verstappen edges Norris to take pole at US Grand Prix
The Red Bull driver was sent out too late to start another run before the chequered flag, but his earlier lap of 1 minute 31.438 seconds was enough to beat Norris by 0.291 seconds
Max Verstappen in action during qualifying rounds
AUSTIN: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole position for the United States Grand Prix after edging McLaren’s Lando Norris by nearly three-tenths of a second in Saturday’s qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas. Championship leader Oscar Piastri could only manage sixth after struggling for pace throughout the session.
It was an impressive performance from Verstappen, who dominated every phase of qualifying despite being unable to complete a final lap. The Red Bull driver was sent out too late to start another run before the chequered flag, but his earlier lap of 1 minute 31.438 seconds was enough to beat Norris by 0.291 seconds.
The McLaren duo entered qualifying under pressure after both crashed out of the sprint earlier in the day. While Norris recovered well to grab second on the grid, just 0.006 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Piastri endured another difficult outing, ending up 0.574 seconds off the pace.
“It was good; the car felt very strong in every segment,” Verstappen said. “It’s tricky to put a lap together here. My first Q3 run was solid, and although the final one was messy, we didn’t need it.”
Norris admitted he could not match Verstappen’s pace. “It was more of a struggle today. Yesterday was comfortable, but something changed — maybe the wind or the setup. There was no chance we could have taken pole. Hopefully, we’ll have a good race with Max tomorrow.”
Leclerc, who spun on his first Q3 run, was pleasantly surprised to qualify third. “It’s been a difficult weekend, so that lap was unexpected. We still have things to understand about the car,” he said.
Behind them, Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth and fifth, while rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed with seventh. Haas driver Oliver Bearman took eighth — the best of the rest — ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
Isack Hadjar will start from the back after crashing heavily early in qualifying.
Piastri maintains a 55-point lead over Verstappen in the drivers’ standings, with Norris a further 22 points adrift, setting up an intriguing battle for Sunday’s race.