Lando Norris will start Sunday’s US Grand Prix on pole position, after Mercedes’ George Russell crashed at the end of the final qualifying session to end Max Verstappen’s run at pole position.
The McLaren driver laid it all on the line early in Q3 to set a time of 1:32.330, 0.031s ahead of Verstappen on a weekend where the team haven’t been as imperious as previous weekends.
Russell’s crash at the fast Turn 19 a minute before the end of the session likely saved Norris’ pole, as both Verstappen and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz looked likely to overhaul the Brit
Behind the front row it is Sainz who starts third ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, with the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri fifth.
Provided there’s no chassis damage to Russell’s car he’ll start sixth ahead of the impressive Pierre Gasly in the Alpine, while Fernando Alonso put his Aston Martin eighth.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen will start ninth ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who lost his best time in Q3 to a track limits offence and couldn’t complete his final lap due to the yellow flags for the stricken Russell.
The first qualifying session saw one of the biggest shocks of the season so far as Lewis Hamilton was a surprise exit to qualify 19th quickest.
The seven-time World Champion lost almost half a second to a mistake at Turn 12 and crossed the line with a minute to spare, and not enough time to recharge his battery start another lap.
A dejected Hamilton joined the less surprising quartet of the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto, with the Saubers of Valterri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu sandwiching the Brit.
The second qualifying session was somewhat more routine, with only the minor surprise of Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas missing out on the top ten after mistakes on his final flying lap to start 12th.
The German had looked nailed on for the top ten before that, and was absolutely gutted on the team radio on his inlap.
Teammate Kevin Magnussen did squeeze through in tenth to outqualify Hulkenberg for the first time in 8 races, while Yuki Tsunoda was 11th despite a tow from teammate Liam Lawson, starting last after a host of engine penalties. The Kiwi proved his own point with third fastest in Q1, with Esteban Ocon 13th and Lance Stroll 14th.
