Ahead of Verstappen as Russell crash brings out yellow flags
McLaren's Lando Norris took his sixth pole of 2024 in a US Grand Prix qualifying session that was disrupted by a late crash for Mercedes' George Russell that prevented many drivers, including second-placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, from finding an improvement on their final runs of Q3. Carlos Sainz took third place for Ferrari.
In the first runs of the final top-10 shootout Norris set the pace with a standout lap of 1:32.330 that he later branded “the best of my career”. Verstappen, meanwhile, had overcooked his entry to Turn 19 and as the final runs approached lay in second place 0.031s behind the McLaren driver.
Verstappen responded by going clear of Norris in the first part of his final flyer but the Dutchman’s hopes of a first pole since the Austrian Grand Prix were dashed when Russell lost control of his Mercedes in Turn 19 and crashed, bringing out yellow flags. Verstappen and a number of others were forced to back out of their final laps leaving Norris with pole thanks to this first run.
“It was probably the best lap of my career,” said Norris afterwards. “It was just a very nice lap. I kind of set the bar too high because on my second lap, I was like, ‘guys, I don't think I'm going to improve much here’. I got everything out of the car.”
Verstappen, who gelt that he had “had a really good shot” was left with P2 ahead of Sainz, with Charles Leclerc in fourth in the other Ferrari. Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri will line up in fifth place, while the unfortunate Russell will start sixth. Pierre Gasly put in a strong performance in the upgraded Alpine A524 to take seventh place ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, while Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez, who had his opening run of Q3 deleted for a track limits infringement.
In Q2, Yuki Tsunoda was the first driver eliminated in P11, with the Japanese driver being joined at the exit by Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, the second Alpine of Esteban Ocon, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and in 15th place, RB’s Liam Lawson.
The major faller in the opening segment of qualifying was Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver lost a significant amount of time in the middle sector of his final flyer and as better times from rivals flowed in the seven-time champion dropped to P19 just ahead of Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu. The Williams pairing of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto were eliminated in P16 and P17 respectively ahead of Valtteri Bottas in the other Kick Sauber.
2024 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1'32.330 - -
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'32.361 0.031 0.034
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1'32.652 0.322 0.349
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1'32.740 0.410 0.444
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1'32.950 0.620 0.672
6 George Russell Mercedes 1'32.974 0.644 0.697
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1'33.018 0.688 0.745
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1'33.309 0.979 1.060
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1'33.481 1.151 1.247
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT - - -
11 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1'33.506 1.176 1.274
12 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1'33.544 1.214 1.315
13 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1'33.597 1.267 1.372
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1'33.759 1.429 1.548
15 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT -
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1'34.051 1.721 1.864
17 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1'34.062 1.732 1.876
18 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1'34.152 1.822 1.973
19 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1'34.154 1.824 1.976
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1'34.228 1.898 2.056
