Formula 1 in Texas: Max Verstappen secures pole ahead of Lewis Hamilton

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"That feels good": Max Verstappen secures pole

Photo: Eric Gay / dpa

World Championship leader Max Verstappen on pole position, defending champion Lewis Hamilton next to him in front of the sharp uphill curve on the Formula 1 track in Austin: The US Grand Prix (9 p.m.; TV: Sky) promises to start right after qualifying on Saturday Tension.

Red Bull driver Verstappen grabbed first place on the grid with a margin of 0.209 seconds. Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Pérez was third, ahead of the second Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas. All eight races to date on the Austin track have been won by drivers who started the race from the front row.

Mercedes now has to wonder what has become of the almost one second lead in the first free practice session on Friday. “It was a tough qualifying. In the three sessions we didn't look like we had the upper hand over Red Bull, ”said Mercedes technical director James Allison at Sky. "We started well, but then the bit by bit got faster and I don't know if we got slower," said Texas record winner Hamilton about the development since the first laps on Friday. In the past six races in Austin, a Mercedes driver has clinched pole position.

"We have optimized our car even further," said Red Bull Motorsport Director Helmut Marko on Sky and reported on the immediate call from Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

The day before, he was "slightly worried".

Vettel transferred to prison

Sebastian Vettel missed the jump in Q3 in twelfth place, but is tackling the 17th race of the season from 18th place on the grid anyway.

The four-time world champion received a penalty transfer to the end of the field because of the fourth engine change on his Aston Martin.

George Russell (Williams) and Fernando Alonso (Alpine), who are also affected, start behind him.

sak / dpa