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F1 Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen takes US pole

Max Verstappen took pole position for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, the 17th round of the 2021 F1 World Championship, ahead of title rival Lewis Hamilton.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Red Bull’s Verstappen will start ahead of Hamilton (Mercedes) and teammate Sergio Perez after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.

US Grand Prix grid results: Verstappen on pole from Perez

Cla Driver Time Gap km/h
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen 1'32.910   213.613
2 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton 1'33.119 0.209 213.133
3 Mexico Sergio Perez 1'33.134 0.224 213.099
4 Monaco Charles Leclerc 1'33.606 0.696 212.024
5 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. 1'33.792 0.882 211.604
6 Australia Daniel Ricciardo 1'33.808 0.898 211.568
7 United Kingdom Lando Norris 1'33.887 0.977 211.390
8 France Pierre Gasly 1'34.118 1.208 210.871
9 Finland Valtteri Bottas 1'33.475 0.565 212.322
10 Japan Yuki Tsunoda 1'34.918 2.008 209.094
11 France Esteban Ocon 1'35.377 2.467 208.087
12 Italy Antonio Giovinazzi 1'35.794 2.884 207.182
13 Canada Lance Stroll 1'35.983 3.073 206.774
14 Canada Nicholas Latifi 1'35.995 3.085 206.748
15 Finland Kimi Raikkonen 1'36.311 3.401 206.069
16 Germany Mick Schumacher 1'36.499 3.589 205.668
17 Russian Federation Nikita Mazepin 1'36.796 3.886 205.037
18 Germany Sebastian Vettel 1'35.500 2.590 207.819
19 United Kingdom George Russell      
20 Spain Fernando Alonso 1'44.549 11.639 189.832

What happened in Q1?

Verstappen set the initial bar at 1m34.521s, 0.054s faster than Perez, with both Red Bulls ahead of the Mercedes duo. McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo then beat everyone with a lap of 1m34.407s, before Verstappen took P1 back on a second run with 1m34.352s and Perez almost matched him again, 0.017s slower this time.

On his final lap, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc grabbed P1 on 1m34.153s, beating both the Red Bulls and the McLarens. The Mercedes cars dropped back to eighth and ninth, despite running again on scrubbed soft tyres.

Falling at the first hurdle were the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi (Williams), the Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen and the Haases of Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.

US Grand Prix Q1 results: Leclerc fastest from Verstappen

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap Interval km/h
1 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 8 1'34.153     210.793
2 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 6 1'34.352 0.199 0.199 210.348
3 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull 6 1'34.369 0.216 0.017 210.310
4 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 3 1'34.407 0.254 0.038 210.225
5 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 3 1'34.551 0.398 0.144 209.905
6 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 3 1'34.558 0.405 0.007 209.890
7 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 6 1'34.567 0.414 0.009 209.870
8 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 6 1'34.579 0.426 0.012 209.843
9 Finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 6 1'34.590 0.437 0.011 209.819
10 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 6 1'35.281 1.128 0.691 208.297
11 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 6 1'35.360 1.207 0.079 208.125
12 United Kingdom George Russell Williams 6 1'35.746 1.593 0.386 207.285
13 France Esteban Ocon Alpine 6 1'35.747 1.594 0.001 207.283
14 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine 6 1'35.756 1.603 0.009 207.264
15 Italy Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 5 1'35.920 1.767 0.164 206.909
16 Canada Lance Stroll Aston Martin 7 1'35.983 1.830 0.063 206.774
17 Canada Nicholas Latifi Williams 6 1'35.995 1.842 0.012 206.748
18 Finland Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 7 1'36.311 2.158 0.316 206.069
19 Germany Mick Schumacher Haas 9 1'36.499 2.346 0.188 205.668
20 Russian Federation Nikita Mazepin Haas 8 1'36.796 2.643 0.297 205.037

What happened in Q2?

Verstappen set the Q2 bar at 1m33.464s on his solo run, a third of a second ahead Hamilton on 1m33.797s as most of the frontrunners used the medium tyres to ensure they’ll start on that compound.

Norris was third, ahead of Leclerc, Bottas and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz (using the soft tyre) – while Perez and Ricciardo lost laps for exceeding track limits at Turn 19 and 9 respectively and had to run again, both making it through to Q3.

Knocked out at this point were Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), Fernando Alonso (Alpine, who gave Ocon a big tow on the back straight) and George Russell (Williams, whose 13th-fastest lap was deleted for track limits). Vettel, Alonso and Russell will start at the rear of the grid due to engine penalties.

US Grand Prix Q2 results: Verstappen fastest from Hamilton

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap Interval km/h
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 3 1'33.464     212.346
2 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 3 1'33.797 0.333 0.333 211.593
3 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 5 1'33.880 0.416 0.083 211.406
4 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 3 1'33.928 0.464 0.048 211.298
5 Finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 3 1'33.959 0.495 0.031 211.228
6 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 6 1'34.126 0.662 0.167 210.853
7 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull 6 1'34.178 0.714 0.052 210.737
8 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 5 1'34.583 1.119 0.405 209.834
9 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 6 1'34.643 1.179 0.060 209.701
10 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 6 1'35.137 1.673 0.494 208.612
11 France Esteban Ocon Alpine 6 1'35.377 1.913 0.240 208.087
12 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 3 1'35.500 2.036 0.123 207.819
13 Italy Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 3 1'35.794 2.330 0.294 207.182
14 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine 6 1'44.549 11.085 8.755 189.832
15 United Kingdom George Russell Williams 5        

What happened in Q3?

On the first runs, Hamilton’s 1m33.564s was beaten by Bottas by 0.089s on 1m33.475s. Verstappen then unleashed 1m33.199s to take P1, but Perez snatched it off him by 0.019s on 1m33.180s for provisional pole.

On the final runs, Hamilton aced the middle sector to grab P1 with 1m33.119 but Verstappen wasn’t to be denied and produced 1m32.910s for pole position by two-tenths of a second – despite spots of drizzle towards the end of his lap.

Perez was third fastest, ahead of Bottas (who will lose five places due to a grid penalty), Leclerc, Sainz, Ricciardo, Lando Norris (McLaren) and the AlphaTauris of Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda.

US Grand Prix Q3 results: Verstappen takes pole

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap Interval km/h
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 7 1'32.910     213.613
2 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 7 1'33.119 0.209 0.209 213.133
3 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull 7 1'33.134 0.224 0.015 213.099
4 Finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 6 1'33.475 0.565 0.341 212.322
5 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 6 1'33.606 0.696 0.131 212.024
6 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 6 1'33.792 0.882 0.186 211.604
7 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 6 1'33.808 0.898 0.016 211.568
8 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 6 1'33.887 0.977 0.079 211.390
9 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 6 1'34.118 1.208 0.231 210.871
10 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 6 1'34.918 2.008 0.800 209.094

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