Title: Charles Leclerc Claims Pole Position at United States Grand Prix as Verstappen Drops to Sixth
Subtitle: Lando Norris Surprises with Second Place Finish Ahead of Lewis Hamilton
Date: Saturday, 21 Oct 2023 00.25 CEST
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc secured pole position for the United States Grand Prix, benefiting from Max Verstappen’s lap being deleted for exceeding track limits at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Verstappen initially appeared to have claimed the top spot in his Red Bull with a lap time that was five-thousandths of a second faster than Leclerc. However, the stewards ruled that Verstappen had gone beyond the track limits, resulting in his lap being invalidated. As a result, he dropped from first to sixth on the starting grid.
McLaren’s Lando Norris took advantage of the situation and clinched second place, edging out Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz, secured fourth place, with George Russell finishing fifth for Mercedes.
This setback comes as Verstappen aimed to join the elite ranks of Formula One champions with 50 victories, alongside drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, and Sebastian Vettel. However, Verstappen’s quest for victory will now begin further down the grid as a consequence of his rare mistake at Turn 18, where he put all four wheels off the track.
Prior to his error, Verstappen had expressed frustration over his team’s decision to release him onto the track too close to his teammate Sergio Pérez. The Dutch driver’s subsequent mistake allowed Leclerc to secure the 21st pole position of his career, with Norris falling short by 0.130 seconds.
Meanwhile, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo returned to the track after missing five races due to a broken hand sustained during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix. The Australian driver qualified in 15th place, trailing by one second and four positions behind Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri.
Aston Martin’s upgrades for the United States Grand Prix did not yield the desired results, as both of their drivers failed to progress far and were eliminated early in the qualifying session. Fernando Alonso finished in 17th place, while Lance Stroll struggled and settled in at 19th.
In a disappointing turn of events for American driver Logan Sargeant, who is yet to secure a seat for the next season, he will start from the back of the grid at his home race with Williams.
The stage is set for an exhilarating race as Charles Leclerc leads the grid at the United States Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen faces the challenge of making his way up from sixth place. The battle for supremacy continues in Austin, Texas, as the drivers aim to maximize their points and deliver an unforgettable race for Formula One fans worldwide.