Max on pole in sprint qualifiying Austin: 'We had a good day'

Published on 19 October 2024 by Florence Cobben

Max Verstappen will start the sprint race in Austin from pole position. George Russell drove his Mercedes into second place, while Charles Leclerc's Ferrari claimed third. On the Circuit of the Americas, it was Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, in their McLaren and Ferrari respectively, who completed the top five. Max's Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate, Sergio Perez, will start the race from eleventh. 

"We had a good day", Max beams, "Of course sprint qualifying is always difficult. You do medium-medium and then a soft; you never know how hard you can push." 

He elaborates: "I'm happy with today. The whole day the car was doing quite well. And of course I'm very happy to be first, it's been a while."

He also has thoughts on the new track: "This track is amazing to drive. With the new tarmac, combined with the older tarmac, the very old tarmac, the bumpy stuff - it's not easy. At the end of the day it's the same for everyone, but to deal with it over one lap is not the easiest. But it's fun."

It's sunny and 27 degrees at the start of SQ1. As the lights at the end of the pitlane go green, it's Max appears first on track. The reigning world champion also sets the first, and by extension, fastest time. It's not long before Kevin Magnussen and Yuki Tsunoda surpass Max. However, even after everyone has set their initial lap, Max has only been demoted to P10. 

Max returns to the pits to adjust his frontwing and is soon back on track. He improves his time and sets the third fastest lap, 68-thousandths slower than Lewis Hamilton. As the curtain falls on SQ1, the top five are: Leclerc, Hamilton, Max, Norris and Sainz. The drivers bowing out are: Oscar Piastri, Esteban Ocon, Alexander Albon and both Saubers. Piastri fell victim to track limits and lost out on setting an otherwise promising lap. 

At the start of SQ2, it's looking like several drivers are only going to be setting one flying lap; it takes much of the grid a long time to appear on track. Both Red Bulls, Racing Bulls, and Aston Martins only have time for one flying lap. 

As Max goes through his first lap, he sets a green sector, and then another, and then another. This puts him on P2, a sixteenth-thousandth away from Sainz. Behind him, teammate Perez in his Red Bull drove into P10 and toes the line with disqualification. It is Tsunoda who knocks Perez into the disqualifying zone. The drivers joining Perez in an early exit are: both Aston Martins, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly.

After SQ1 and SQ2, the teams switch from medium tyres to soft tyres. Both Mercedes and Franco Colapinto are the first to appear on track. "Why did we go out so early?" was Hamilton's question to his engineer. Colapinto spins and aborts his lap. 

It's Sainz who kicks off the final round of qualifying, coming out in P2, and is quickly seen handing the baton first to Norris, then Leclerc. All eventually have to make way for the reigning world champion, who shoots his Red Bull into first place with a flying lap that secures him pole position on Saturday.  

Contest United States GP: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing cap!

Results sprint qualifying United States: