AUSTIN, Texas — The grid is ready for the F1 Dash race right here at the US Grand Prix.
And when the lights exit tomorrow, Max Verstappen will probably be on the entrance of the sector.
The Purple Bull driver snatched pole place from Lando Norris proper on the finish of SQ3, holding his comeback effort within the Drivers’ Championship race alive. The winner of tomorrow’s F1 Dash race will financial institution eight factors in the direction of their season complete and with Verstappen trailing second-place Norris by 41 factors — and championship chief Oscar Piastri by 63 factors — each level counts.
Right here is the complete grid for the F1 Dash race at the US Grand Prix:
Row |
Place |
Driver |
Workforce |
Place |
Driver |
Workforce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Purple Bull | 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| Row 2 | 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 4 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber |
| Row 3 | 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | 6 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
| Row 4 | 7 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Williams | 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| Row 5 | 9 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 10 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| Row 6 | 11 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 12 | Isack Hadjar | VCARB |
| Row 7 | 13 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| Row 8 | 15 | Liam Lawson | VCARB | 16 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| Row 9 | 17 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 18 | Yuki Tsunoda | Purple Bull |
| Row 10 | 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 20 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber |
Because it occurred: F1 Dash qualifying on the USPG
Eight minutes had been placed on the clock, and the ten remaining drivers had been left to battle it out for pole place.
Mercedes despatched Russell out first, adopted by the Williams duo of Albon and Sainz. However with the groups having glad the C3 medium tire necessities in each SQ1 and SQ2, the C4 softs had been now bolted on for the ultimate section of qualifying.
Russell was the primary to set a time on the delicate compound, coming throughout with a 1:32.888 to set the usual. Albon got here subsequent with a 1:33.099, which was good for P2 however just for a second, as Sainz then posted a 1:32.911.
Hülkenberg was subsequent on the assault, and opened his effort by going purple via Sector 1, and he was forward of Russell’s tempo after Sector 2. When the Sauber driver crossed the road, his effort was good for provisional pole, as he was purple via Sector 3 regardless of a late wobble via Flip 20. His lap time of 1:32.646 was greater than two-tenths forward of Russell.
However he wouldn’t keep in P1.
Norris rocketed via the Circuit of the Americas and posted a 1:32.214, taking P1 away from the Sauber driver and placing himself on provisional pole for the second. Piastri and Verstappen had an opportunity to reply, however Piastri got here up brief with a 1:32.523.
Verstappen, nonetheless, didn’t come up brief.
The Purple Bull driver snatched pole place on the loss of life from Norris with a time of 1:32.143, simply 0.071 seconds forward of the McLaren driver.
As SQ2 opened, ten minutes had been placed on the clock, and the vast majority of the grid didn’t wait. Lance Stroll was amongst a bevy of drivers that rocketed out of their respective garages when the inexperienced gentle was on pit lane, however the first lap time was posted by Verstappen, a 1:33.163 to set the benchmark.
George Russell minimize the beam with a 1:33.462, practically three-tenths off Verstappen’s tempo. However then it was over to McLaren for a response. Oscar Piastri crossed the road forward of his teammate with a 1:33.889, good for P2, however then it was Lando Norris who topped all of them with a 1:33.224 to high the timing sheets for the second.
With three minutes remaining, the 5 drivers in danger for elimination had been: Stroll, Hülkenberg, Hadjar, Lawson, and Gasly.
Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, and Carlos Sainz Jr. shaped the highest 5 at that time.
With 90 seconds remaining in SQ2 13 of the 15 remaining drivers had been on the monitor. Solely Norris and Verstappen remained on pit lane, maybe glad that they had been via to SQ3. 4 drivers — Hülkenberg, Hadjar, Lawson, and Gasly — had but to set a lap time.
Lawson was the primary of these to cross the road, with an effort that solely put him into P11, eliminating him from rivalry. Stroll may solely handle a lap good for P14, additionally knocking him out of qualifying.
So as to add insult to damage, Lawson’s lap time was then deleted for exceeding monitor limits at Flip 19.
There was a nervous second for Ferrari proper on the finish of SQ2, as each Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc wanted to seek out a bit of extra time to advance. Each did, with Leclerc in P8 and Hamilton in P10, simply 0.006 seconds forward of Kimi Antonelli in P11.
Antonelli, Hadjar, Gasly, Stroll, and Lawson had been the 5 drivers eradicated in SQ2.
Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, Hülkenberg, Sainz, Albon, Leclerc, Alonso, and Hamilton moved on to SQ3.
SQ1 opened with simply 12 minutes on the clock, so the groups wasted little time rolling out of pit lane. With simply 9 minutes remaining in SQ1, greater than half the grid was on the monitor, laying down opening laps on their C3 medium tires.
Isack Hadjar was the primary to chop the beam with a time of 1:34.856, however the lap instances started to tumble from there. Nico Hülkenberg — who posted a shocking P2 in the one accessible hour of follow earlier within the day — got here throughout with a 1:34.758 to maneuver to the highest of the timing sheets shortly after Hadjar’s preliminary gambit.
Inside minutes, Hülkenberg had been pushed down the desk, with Liam Lawson, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Fernando Alonso besting the Sauber driver’s effort.
Because the clock hit 5 minutes remaining, it was none apart from Max Verstappen who was on the entrance of the sector, having pumped in a lap of 1:34.140. That put him on the entrance, adopted by Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and Kimi Antonelli rounding out the early high 5.
Because the clock hit 4 minutes remaining, 19 of the 20 drivers had posted a lap time, with solely Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto but to submit a time. His preliminary effort was deleted for exceeding monitor limits at Flip 19. Slowly, the drivers rumbled out of their respective garages for his or her remaining efforts of SQ1, with the visitors on pit lane resembling I-35 into downtown Austin.
The 5 drivers within the drop zone had been Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Franco Colapinto, and Bortoleto.
That visitors proved expensive, as a number of drivers didn’t get again to the beginning/end line earlier than the clock hit zero, leaving drivers reminiscent of Yuki Tsunoda, Leclerc, and Ocon unable to set one other time.
Bortoleto was denied an opportunity to set a time in any respect, as a result of visitors on pit lane.
When the mud settled on the finish of SQ1, Oliver Bearman, Colapinto, Tsunoda, Ocon, and Bortoleto had been the 5 drivers eradicated.
Whereas all 5 had been pissed off, Tsunoda may need been essentially the most pissed off of the 5, as replays confirmed a brush with Lawson which will have pressured the Purple Bull driver extensive as he raced again to the beginning/end line.
On the entrance finish of the sector, Norris topped the timing sheets forward of Verstappen, Piastri, Hamilton, and Hülkenberg.
The FIA famous after SQ1 that an incident involving Hadjar, Tsunoda, Alex Albon, Norrs, Verstappen, Hülkenberg, Antonelli, George Russell, and Lance Stroll for failing to comply with race director’s directions (most delta time) had been famous and will probably be investigated after the session.
