Title: Close Battle between Leclerc and Verstappen in United States Grand Prix Qualifying
Subtitle: Track Limit Drama Adds Excitement to the Session
In an unexpected turn of events, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari took the lead during the qualifying session for the United States Grand Prix, closely followed by Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing. The battle for pole position was intense, with both drivers showcasing their skills on the challenging Circuit of the Americas track.
Throughout the one-hour knockout session, the drivers faced difficulties in staying within the track limits, especially in the penultimate and final corners. The high-energy surface and scorching track temperatures added to the challenge, causing their soft tires to struggle for grip. Leclerc’s initial time of 1m34.828s topped the first run of Q3, with Verstappen trailing behind in third place.
On the final runs, Leclerc improved his time to 1m34.723s, securing his pole position despite not setting any purple sectors. Verstappen, on the other hand, seemed poised to snatch the pole from Leclerc but slid slightly wide at Turn 19, leading to the deletion of his lap time. This mistake sealed Lando Norris’s second place, with Lewis Hamilton closing out the front row for Sunday’s race.
Carlos Sainz managed to secure fourth place, followed by George Russell. Despite his initial Q3 time only placing him in sixth, Verstappen held onto that position, with Sergio Perez finishing in ninth. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon claimed seventh and eighth, respectively, while Oscar Piastri rounded out the top ten.
In the previous segments, several drivers faced elimination. Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu, Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen, and Daniel Ricciardo were among the casualties in Q2, with Ricciardo losing his chance to advance to Q3 due to a track limit violation at Turn 19.
Nico Hulkenberg suffered a similar fate in Q1 after exceeding the track limits at the penultimate turn. The Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who encountered front brake issues in FP1, were unexpectedly knocked out in Q1 as well.
Post-qualifying investigations have been initiated against Tsunoda, Ricciardo, and Stroll for potentially failing to follow the race director’s instructions regarding maximum lap times for both out and in laps. These measures are aimed at reducing traffic issues during qualifying. Previous investigations in Monza and Qatar yielded no further action as the drivers were found to have slowed down to avoid impeding others.
The United States Grand Prix promises a thrilling battle between Leclerc and Verstappen, with the added excitement of potential penalties looming over certain drivers. The intense qualifying session sets the stage for an adrenaline-fueled race as the drivers vie for victory on Sunday.