(Austin) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will start the sprint race at the F1 United States Grand Prix on Saturday after setting the fastest time in qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas (5.513 km) in Austin .
The Dutchman, crowned world champion for the third year in a row two weeks ago in Qatar, took his revenge after his disappointing sixth place obtained Friday during qualifying for the Grand Prix.
Verstappen beat Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who will start at the head of the Grand Prix on Sunday, and Briton Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) by 55 and 69 thousandths respectively.
“It was a good day of qualifying. The last lap wasn’t great, but it was enough to take the lead so the car is running well. It should be a good race, because a lot of teams are very close,” said the Dutchman.
The two McLaren single-seaters of Briton Lando Norris and Australian Oscar Piastri took fourth and fifth places, ahead of the other Ferrari of Spaniard Carlos Sainz.
Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), who plays almost at home in Texas, will start in seventh position ahead of the second Mercedes of Briton George Russell.
The Top 10 is completed by the Thai Alex Albon (Williams) and the Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine), while the Australian Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri), who is making his return this weekend after a hand injury, took an encouraging 11th place.
The Aston Martins, catastrophic on Friday since they finished 17th and 19th in qualifying for the Grand Prix, raised their heads a little on Saturday: the Spaniard Fernando Alonso and the Quebecer Lance Stroll achieved the 12th and 14th times respectively.
Frenchman Esteban Ocon took 13th place at the wheel of the second Alpine single-seater, while Chinese Zhou Guanyu (Alfa-Romeo) will start in fifteenth position.
“It was a bad qualifying,” cursed Ocon, who drove a second faster on Friday and took eighth place on the Grand Prix starting grid, just behind his teammate and compatriot Pierre Gasly.
The sprint race, which will last 19 laps, will start at 5 p.m. local time (midnight in France).
