Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Saturday October 19, 2024 at 12:42 a.m.
Max Verstappen will start from pole position for the sprint race of the United States Grand Prix this Saturday in Austin. The Dutchman has been waiting for this since last June and the Austrian weekend. He beat George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris during sprint qualifying on Friday.
Max Verstappen back at the front. Undefeated on this Austin circuit which he likes so much since 2021 but in search of a new pole since last June and the Austrian Grand Prix, that is to say seven Grands Prix without being a pole sitter, the three-time world champion will start first position on Saturday of the sprint race of the United States GP, fourth sprint weekend of the season out of the six on the program. Third a little earlier in the only free practice session of the weekend behind the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, “Mad Max”, who has not won since his success on June 23 in Spain, was snatched pole on Friday during sprint qualifying by signing the best time of the session at the last minute while George Russell (Mercedes), who had improved on the best time achieved in SQ2 by Sainz and had opted for an early exit from the pits, seemed not to be able to be dislodged from the controls. It was not knowing well the author of a full card in the first three sprint races of the season (three victories in three races), who had also been pole sitter during the last two Saturdays having proposed a sprint, in Austria and in Miami.
Piastri ejected from SQ1!
Russell has not lost everything, however, since he will start alongside Verstappen, while Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, the winner of the last Grand Prix and runner-up to Verstappen, who had to settle for only fourth place , will make up the second row, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Niko Hulkenberg and a fourth row made up of Lewis Hamilton, not at all happy with his 7th place and who had had a big scare before, and Kevin Magnussen, another Haas driver present in SQ3 on the grounds of his team, while Franco Colapinto, the 21-year-old Argentinian prodigy from the Williams team, present in SQ3 and still impressive, will start from tenth place on the grid. Sergio Perez, like the Frenchman Pierre Gasly, left these qualifications in SQ2, leaving Verstappen alone to defend the colors of this Red Bull to which the improvements made visibly did the greatest good a few minutes later. SQ1 for its part gave rise to a small earthquake with the elimination of Oscar Piastri, the winner in Azerbaijan and Hungary this season and currently 4th in the world championship standings. Sebastian Ocon, the other Frenchman driving an orange Alpine for the occasion, also stopped prematurely. Guilty of having exceeded the track limits, the Rouennais saw his time erased.
