F1 – Verstappen tops Sprint qualifying in Austin 

Max Verstappen will begin the Dash on the US Grand Prix from the entrance of the grid after setting the quickest time of Dash Qualifying simply over one hundredth of a second forward of Mercedes’ George Russell, with Charles Leclerc in P3 for Ferrari forward of title difficult McLaren driver Lando Norris.

Nevertheless, it was a tricky afternoon for Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Pérez who exited the session on the finish of SQ2 in P11 and for McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who was eradicated in Q1 in P16. 

Within the Smooth tyre SQ3 shootout on the finish of the session it seemed like Russell had carried out sufficient to seal a shock prime spot with a lap of 1:32.845 that stored him forward of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Norris and Carlos Sainz. Nevertheless, Verstappen was one of many final on observe and the Dutchman, who final topped a qualifying session with Dash supremacy in Austria, went 0.012s faster to take P1. 

With Sainz in fifth, sixth place went to Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg who completed nearly two tenths of a second away from Lewis Hamilton who lamented Mercedes’ determination to ship him out on observe early within the closing phase. Kevin Magnussen was eighth on a great afternoon for Haas, whereas Yuki Tsunoda was ninth for RB forward of Franco Colapinto who impressed once more at Williams. 

Pérez was the most important faller in SQ2. The Mexican’s closing lap was solely ok for tenth and when Tsunoda put in a great enchancment, Pérez was dominated out of the ultimate phase.

Pierre Gasly took twelfth for Alpine and a flurry of observe limits infringements on the finish of Sq2 meant that Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso went out in 14th and fifteenth forward of Liam Lawson who additionally had his closing lap deleted. 

The most important eliminations of SQ1 have been Piastri whose closing time was deleted for going past observe limits in Flip 19 on his closing tour and Alex Albon who had a lurid, 360-degree spin as he got here out of the penultimate nook on his closing flier. Piatsri exited in P16 forward of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, whereas Albon went out in P18 forward of the Saubers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. 

2024 FIA System 1 United States Grand Prix – Dash Qualiyfing 
1 Max Verstappen Pink Bull/Honda RBPT 1’32.833  3 213.790
2 George Russell Mercedes 1’32.845 0.012 0.013 3 213.762
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’33.059 0.226 0.243 3 213.271
4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1’33.083 0.250 0.269 3 213.216
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1’33.089 0.256 0.276 3 213.202
6 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1’33.183 0.350 0.377 3 212.987
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1’33.378 0.545 0.587 3 212.542
8 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1’33.398 0.565 0.609 3 212.497
9 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1’33.802 0.969 1.044 3 211.581
10 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1’34.406 1.573 1.694 5 210.228
11 Sergio Pérez Pink Bull/Honda RBPT 1’34.244 0.970 1.040 3 210.589
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1’34.363 1.089 1.168 3 210.323
13 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 6 209.175
17 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1’34.917 1.270 1.356 6 209.096
18 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1’35.054 1.407 1.502 6 208.795
19 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1’35.148 1.501 1.603 6 208.588
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1’36.472 2.825 3.017 6 205.726