New Delhi: Red Bull’s Formula One frontrunner Max Verstappen secured the pole position for the U.S. Grand Prix’s Saturday sprint, while his McLaren adversary Lando Norris landed an unexpected fourth, risking a loss of momentum in the championship race.
Mercedes’ George Russell will start alongside the three-time world champion Verstappen, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in third place.
Verstappen, the victor of last year’s 100km sprint and the Sunday grand prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas clocked the fastest lap at one minute 32.833 seconds, narrowly edging out Russell by 0.012 seconds.
The Dutchman, triumphant in all three sprints of the current season, is ahead of Norris by 52 points, with six races left and up to 180 points up for grabs.
“The car performed well throughout the day. Securing first place feels great, especially since it’s been some time since my last pole position in Austria this June,” he expressed.
He also praised the track, saying, “It’s a thrill to drive here. The mix of new and old Tarmac, along with the bumps, makes it challenging but enjoyable.”
With the sprint offering eight points to the victor and rewarding the top eight finishers, Verstappen stands a good chance of increasing his lead even before the main event.
Norris won’t have support in the sprint from teammate Oscar Piastri, as the Australian’s fastest lap was deleted, preventing him from advancing beyond the first phase and leaving him in 16th place.
Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, will start from 11th on the grid.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz is set to start fifth, followed by Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg in sixth and Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in seventh.
Kevin Magnussen secured eighth place for the U.S.-owned Haas team, while Yuki Tsunoda claimed ninth for RB and Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto impressed with a 10th place for Williams.
Colapinto’s teammate, Alex Albon, who is set to make his 100th Grand Prix start on Sunday, only managed to qualify in 18th place after a complete spin.
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