Two years after Valtteri Bottas, last poleman of the Circuit of the Americas, Max Verstappen took pole position in the United States Grand Prix. At the cost of a last supersonic lap, the Dutchman, leader of the world championship, blew pole to Lewis Hamilton for two tenths. This pole, his ninth of the season, attests to the good performance of the Red Bull on the very particular asphalt of Austin (Texas), since Sergio Perez, best time of the last two free practice sessions, completes the podium of the exercise. “
It's a really big performance for the team,
” Verstappen agreed after the session. The glass half full for the Mexican, who hoped to sign his first pole there in Formula 1, not far from home.
Fourth following the downgrading of Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc repeats his performance in qualifying two years ago.
The Monegasque is ahead of the Ferrari of his teammate Carlos Sainz, who will therefore start fifth ahead of the two McLarens of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris.
Pierre Gasly will start eighth, just ahead of the downgraded Bottas and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who had not entered Q3 for a long time.
Raikkonen in front of the Haas
A Q3 claimed by Esteban Ocon, the last eliminated in Q2 (11th) despite the aspiration offered by his partner Fernando Alonso, who had nothing to hope for since he was certain to start from the back of the grid. A disappointing result for Alpine, hardly in sight since the start of the Texas weekend. The Normand is ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin and Antonio Giovinazzi's Alfa Romeo.
The latter's teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, signed a very disappointing 18th place, ahead of the Haas, confined to the back of the grid.
"We
will have to do better tomorrow,
" said the Finn, laconic and disinterested at the microphone of
Canal +.
Austin's route, the land of his last Formula 1 victory (2018 with Ferrari), clearly did not inspire the 2007 world champion, more than ever looking to retirement.
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