US GP F1 qualifying results: Charles Leclerc starts on pole
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took pole position for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix, the 19th round of the Formula 1 World Championship, in Austin, Texas.
Leclerc will start ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set the fastest time in Q3, but this was stripped away as he exceeded track limits.
As this is a sprint weekend format, these sessions set the grid for Sunday’s race and have no impact on Saturday’s sprint event.
UPDATE: On Sunday morning, Aston Martin confirmed that Fernando Alonso would start from the pitlane, after reverting to an older car specification, as will team-mate Lance Stroll. Haas has also decided to take the same route with both its cars after an upgrade failed to deliver.
US GP qualifying results: Leclerc on pole from Norris
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay |
1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'34.723 | |
2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'34.853 | 0.130 |
3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'34.862 | 0.139 |
4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'34.945 | 0.222 |
5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'35.079 | 0.356 |
6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'35.081 | 0.358 |
7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'35.089 | 0.366 |
8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'35.154 | 0.431 |
9 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'35.173 | 0.450 |
10 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'35.467 | 0.744 |
11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'35.697 | 0.974 |
12 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'35.698 | 0.975 |
13 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'35.858 | 1.135 |
14 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'35.974 | 1.251 |
15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1'36.315 | 1.592 |
16 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | 1'36.827 |
2.104 |
17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1'35.880 | 1.157 | 1.221 |
Required to start from the pit lane, car modified whilst under Parc Fermé conditions |
||||||
18 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'36.235 | 1.512 | 1.596 |
Required to start from the pit lane, car modified whilst under Parc Fermé conditions |
||||||
19 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'36.268 | 1.545 | 1.631 |
Required to start from the pit lane, car modified whilst under Parc Fermé conditions |
||||||
20 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'36.589 | 1.866 | 1.970 |
Required to start from the pit lane, car modified whilst under Parc Fermé conditions |
What happened in US GP Q1?
Hamilton set the pace at 1m35.091s, 0.019s faster than Norris and 0.255s ahead of Verstappen.
Falling at the first hurdle were Nico Hulkenberg (Haas – who lost his best lap due to track limits), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Alex Albon (Williams), Lance Stroll (Aston) and Logan Sargeant (Williams).
US GP Grand Prix Q1 results: Hamilton fastest from Norris
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'35.091 | 6 | |
2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'35.110 | 0.019 | 8 |
3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'35.346 | 0.255 | 6 |
4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'35.824 | 0.733 | 6 |
5 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'35.913 | 0.822 | 6 |
6 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'35.989 | 0.898 | 6 |
7 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1'36.009 | 0.918 | 6 |
8 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'36.052 | 0.961 | 9 |
9 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'36.061 | 0.970 | 9 |
10 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'36.064 | 0.973 | 9 |
11 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'36.082 | 0.991 | 9 |
12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'36.131 | 1.040 | 9 |
13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'36.158 | 1.067 | 7 |
14 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'36.165 | 1.074 | 6 |
15 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'36.213 | 1.122 | 6 |
16 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'36.235 | 1.144 | 6 |
17 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'36.268 | 1.177 | 8 |
18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1'36.315 | 1.224 | 6 |
19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'36.589 | 1.498 | 9 |
20 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | 1'36.827 | 1.736 | 8 |
What happened in US GP Q2?
Leclerc set the fastest time at 1m35.004s, 0.004s ahead of Verstappen and two tenths clear of Hamilton.
Knocked out at this point were Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), the Alfa Romeo duo of Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri).
US GP Grand Prix Q2 results: Leclerc fastest from Verstappen
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'35.004 | 6 | |
2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'35.008 | 0.004 | 6 |
3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'35.240 | 0.236 | 6 |
4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'35.302 | 0.298 | 6 |
5 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'35.413 | 0.409 | 6 |
6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'35.441 | 0.437 | 6 |
7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'35.496 | 0.492 | 6 |
8 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'35.576 | 0.572 | 5 |
9 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'35.606 | 0.602 | 6 |
10 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'35.679 | 0.675 | 5 |
11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'35.697 | 0.693 | 6 |
12 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'35.698 | 0.694 | 6 |
13 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'35.858 | 0.854 | 6 |
14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1'35.880 | 0.876 | 6 |
15 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'35.974 | 0.970 | 6 |
What happened in US GP Q3?
On the first runs, Leclerc set the bar at 1m34.829s from Hamilton’s 1m34.885s and Verstappen’s 1m35.081s.
On the final runs, Leclerc improved to 1m34.723s, which Verstappen beat by 0.005s with 1m34.718s. But Verstappen’s time was deleted for exceeding track limits at the penultimate corner.
Norris took second, 0.13s off Leclerc, just ahead of Hamilton.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will start fourth, ahead of George Russell (Mercedes), the penalized Verstappen, Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Sergio Perez (Red Bull) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren).
US GP Q3 results: Leclerc takes pole
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'34.723 | 6 | |
2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'34.853 | 0.130 | 6 |
3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'34.862 | 0.139 | 6 |
4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'34.945 | 0.222 | 6 |
5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'35.079 | 0.356 | 6 |
6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'35.081 | 0.358 | 6 |
7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'35.089 | 0.366 | 6 |
8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'35.154 | 0.431 | 6 |
9 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'35.173 | 0.450 | 6 |
10 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'35.467 | 0.744 | 6 |
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