BREAKING: Verstappen Strikes Back with US GP Sprint Pole as Nor..

Title leader Max Verstappen claims first pole at an event since Austrian GP in June; Lando Norris frustrated by fourth, while Mercedes George Russell takes second

Max Verstappen has secured his first pole position in almost four months, taking the top spot in qualifying for the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver, who has not started from pole since the Austrian GP in June, outpaced Mercedes’ George Russell by a mere 0.012 seconds to claim the fastest time at the Circuit of the Americas.

Verstappen’s pole position comes at a crucial point in the season as the title fight heats up, with McLaren’s Lando Norris, who currently trails Verstappen by 52 points, only managing to qualify in fourth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took third, meaning Norris will share the second row with Leclerc for the Sprint race.

Despite Red Bull making headlines off the track, with discussions about potential car upgrades and revisions, Verstappen handled the limited practice time well. Teams were given just one hour of practice before the Sprint event’s first competitive session, but Verstappen rose to the occasion, setting a 1:32.833 lap in SQ3 to edge out Russell, who had been the first to take to the track during the final session.

Norris, on the other hand, had a frustrating day, finishing two-tenths of a second off the pole time. After a run of strong performances in recent races, where he outscored Verstappen across four consecutive events, Norris knew he needed to maintain momentum. However, the McLaren driver struggled with balance and setup issues, describing his lap as “shocking” despite finishing in fourth.

“I’ve been struggling the whole day, honestly, with the balance and the setup. In a way, I’m happy with P4 because I felt like it could have been a lot worse, but my lap was shocking,” Norris said after the session.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who qualified third, will be starting alongside Norris. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz, Leclerc’s teammate, took fifth place. Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg delivered another impressive qualifying performance, finishing sixth, while his teammate Kevin Magnussen secured eighth place, further cementing Haas’ strong showing.

Mercedes had a mixed day. Russell’s second-place finish showcased the team’s potential, but Lewis Hamilton, a five-time winner at the Austin circuit, was left disappointed in seventh. Hamilton believed he could have claimed pole position had it not been for a yellow flag during his final lap in SQ3.

The yellow flag was triggered by Williams’ rookie driver Franco Colapinto, who spun at Turn 12, forcing Hamilton to slow down and ultimately ruining his lap. Despite being four-tenths faster than Russell in the first sector, Hamilton misjudged his braking after encountering the yellow flag, running slightly deep into the corner.

A frustrated Hamilton voiced his disappointment over the radio, saying, “Come on guys, that was not good,” to which his race engineer responded, “Yeah, copy Lewis. Understood.”

Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton said, “Just got unlucky with the yellow flag. It is what it is. I was four-tenths up, but the good thing is that the team has made a step with the car. The upgrade has clearly worked, and I’m really grateful to everyone back at the factory for all the hard work over this period of time because it’s been a tough slog for everyone to get the upgrades and make sure that they’re working. It’s not the end of the day, tomorrow we’ve got another chance.”

Mercedes’ upgrades appeared to have had a positive impact, with both drivers showing competitive pace, despite the challenges they faced. In contrast, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez continued to struggle. The Mexican driver failed to make it into the top 10, qualifying 11th after being eliminated in SQ2. Perez’s underwhelming performance adds to the mounting pressure he faces, as Red Bull looks to maintain their dominance in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

The Sprint qualifying session was not without drama. In addition to Hamilton’s yellow flag incident, there was a major moment at the end of SQ1 when Alex Albon spun his Williams in a dramatic 360-degree fashion. Although Albon managed to avoid serious damage, his spin contributed to his early elimination, as he finished 18th overall. Meanwhile, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was knocked out in SQ1 as well, losing his final lap time due to a track limits violation at Turn 19. Piastri, who has shown strong potential this season, will start 16th for the Sprint race, a disappointing result for the young Australian.

Further down the grid, Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda qualified ninth, while Williams’ Colapinto, despite his spin, outqualified his more experienced teammate Albon to secure 10th place. Colapinto’s qualifying performance marks a significant achievement for the Argentine rookie in only his second Grand Prix weekend.

For Verstappen, this pole position marks a return to form after a challenging few races. Although he has not won in his last eight attempts, the Dutchman remains the favorite for both the Sprint race and the Grand Prix on Sunday, where Red Bull hopes to regain momentum with upgrades to their car’s engine cover and floor edge.

“The whole day the car was working well,” Verstappen said after taking pole. “I’m happy to be first, it’s been a while, so happy with today.”

Verstappen’s dominance in Sprint races this season is also worth noting, as he has won all three Sprint events held earlier in the year, a period when Red Bull’s car was clearly the fastest on the grid. With this pole position, Verstappen is well-positioned to add another Sprint victory to his tally and potentially extend his lead in the championship.

However, Norris and McLaren will be hoping to turn things around during the rest of the weekend. After a strong run of form that included victories in Zandvoort and Singapore, Norris knows that he must maximize every opportunity if he hopes to challenge Verstappen for the title.

Despite the setbacks in qualifying, the United States Grand Prix promises to be an exciting weekend, with several key storylines to follow. Can Verstappen hold off his rivals and secure another Sprint win? Will Norris and McLaren bounce back from their struggles in qualifying? And can Mercedes continue to close the gap with their upgraded car?

With so much at stake in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, the action at the Circuit of the Americas is sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

United States GP Sprint Qualifying Timesheet:

Knocked out in SQ2:

Knocked out in SQ1:

| 16 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:34.881 | | 17 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:34.917 | | 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:35.054 | | 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 1:35.148 | | 20 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 1:36.472 |