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Analysis
Formula 1 United States GP

How a 3mph difference squeaked Verstappen ahead of Russell in Sprint qualifying

Analysis: this is how Max Verstappen took the Austin sprint qualifying thanks to efforts at one critical corner

Alex Kalinauckas
Alex Kalinauckas
Edited:
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal and General Manager, Scuderia Ferrari and Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lando Norris, McLaren

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Gunter Steiner

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Mika Hakkinen

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Otmar Szafnauer

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Danica Patrick

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Jock Clear, Ferrari, Oliver Bearman, Reserve Driver, Ferrari and Haas F1 Team, James Vowles, Team Principal, Williams Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Alex Albon, Williams Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team, Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, with Romain Grosjean

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
A Ferrari fan in the paddock

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Helmets of Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Helmets of Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, in the cockpit

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Red Bull Racing RB20 detail

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Red Bull RB20 rear suspension detail

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Haas VF-24 detail

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, in the cockpit

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Red Bull Racing RB20 detail

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Franco Colapinto, Williams, Gaetan Jego, Williams Racing Race Engineer

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
The flag of the United States of America

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, NASCAR star Jeff Gordon swap helmets

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, NASCAR star Jeff Gordon swap helmets

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Oliver Oakes, Team Principal, Alpine F1 Team, in the Team Principals Press Conference

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, in the Team Principals Press Conference

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team on stage

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Former NASCAR star Jeff Gordon poses with an Aston Martin Pirelli Hot Laps car

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team, Raoul Spanger, Manager of Nico Hulkenberg

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Leo Neugebauer in the Haas F1 Team garage

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, with Gene Haas, Owner and Founder, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Mercedes F1 W15 rear suspension detail

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Haas VF-24 rear wing detail

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Alex Albon, Williams FW46

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Mick Schumacher, Reserve Driver, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Jeff Gordon

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Mechanics push Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Alpine mechanic pitlane practice

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Mercedes F1 W15 front wing detail

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Alex Albon, Williams FW46

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Sprint pole man Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Sprint pole man Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, celebrates in Parc Ferme

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, receives his Sprint Qualifyiing Award from Leo Neugebauer, German Track and Field athlete

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Neugebauer, German Track and Field athlete

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday
98

Max Verstappen edged Mercedes driver George Russell to the United States GP sprint pole by just 0.012 seconds, with GPS trace data revealing that his approach to just one critical corner made the difference.

The result meant Verstappen claimed his first pole – although sprints do not count towards official pole tally statistics - since he topped GP qualifying in Austria, as he lost his Spa GP pole due to his engine-change grid penalty.

It came on a day when Red Bull Racing was under considerable fire from 2024 title rival McLaren over Red Bull's controversial front bib ride height adjuster.

Verstappen responded commandingly – in the RB20 that features a reworked floor edge. Russell was also on the up with the much heavier update on the Mercedes, while McLaren's many design tweaks left Lando Norris feeling they had made little, if any, difference to the MCL38's performance level.

With Oscar Piastri out in Q1 due to a track limits infraction and Norris not to feature in the sprint pole fight as the sun set on Friday evening at Austin, SQ3 was about two drivers that ran at very different times.

Russell led the drivers out of the pits early for the only runs on the soft tyres and shot down the pit straight quicker than Verstappen would do running with the main pack at the end of the short – per the GPS trace data logged on the cars.

However, an oversteer snap exiting the first corner was to prove costly.

It was a spot the W15s had been struggling with all day, which Pirelli says is the lowest grip part of the resurfaced areas of the circuit. The moment wasn't as dramatic as his Turn 1 spin in FP1, but it certainly had an impact.

Having undercooked tyres for the start of the lap will also leave the drivers grappling here – the slides also then sending temperature spikes through the rubber that can become critical later.

On the approach to the rapid left at the start of the Esses, Russell had shipped almost 0.2s to Verstappen, which had come down to 0.17s by the end of the sequence.

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

But from there, Russell's speed on the straights plus a better traversing of Turn 11 mean he erased his previous losses by the end of the main straight, and while Verstappen's run through Turns 12-15 was better, Russell rocketing through Turns 16-18 meant he held a narrow 0.046s advantage.

Next up was Turn 19, and the scene of the earlier track limits controversy that was to make the critical difference for Verstappen.

He chucked his RB20 in the plunging apex and shot through 3mph faster than Russell on a tighter line to come out with a fractional advantage.

When Russell's ever so slightly quicker run through the final corner made next to no difference to their gap on essentially the same lines, Verstappen's narrow triumph was sealed.

"From lap one, I think the car was in a decent window," Verstappen said of what made the critical difference late on Friday. "I felt quite comfortable. I could attack the high-speed corners. I think we're quite quick there."

Mercedes insiders remain confident that it is in the fight this weekend — particularly as there is so little data on long-run pace thanks to the sprint format, which is leaving Red Bull wary at this stage.

The Silver Arrows squad is also delighted to have got through the Monza/street-circuit run that followed Zandvoort, as the "90° corners" that don't suit "underlying characteristics of our car that are hurting us" in races at such tracks don't suit the W15 – per Mercedes trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin.

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