Verstappen edges out Russell to claim sprint qualifying pole in Austin
Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool
Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Sprint race at the United States Grand Prix, narrowly beating Mercedes' George Russell in Sprint Qualifying by a mere 0.012 seconds.
Russell set the initial benchmark early in SQ3, but attempts to overcome his time by Lando Norris and Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz ultimately fell short. Verstappen clinched the top spot at the last moment, putting his Red Bull in P1.
Russell will line up alongside Verstappen on the front row, with Leclerc and Norris in third and fourth positions. Sainz follows in fifth, with the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg securing sixth.
Lewis Hamilton starts seventh for Mercedes, paired with Haas's Kevin Magnussen in eighth position. Rounding out the top ten are Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda and Williams' Franco Colapinto.
Sergio Perez was forced out after SQ2, ending up in 11th place for Red Bull. He will be joined on the sixth row by Alpine's Pierre Gasly.
Aston Martin experienced a lackluster performance, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing 13th and 14th respectively. New Zealander Liam Lawson, returning to the grid for RB in place of Daniel Ricciardo, placed 15th.
Drama unfolded in SQ1 when Oscar Piastri's final lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 19, causing the McLaren driver to drop to P16. Alex Albon, meanwhile, spun his Williams on approach to the line, leaving him stuck in 18th.
Other eliminations in the first segment of Sprint Qualifying included Alpine's Esteban Ocon in 17th, Valtteri Bottas in 19th, and Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo in 20th.
With the grid set, drivers are ready to take their positions for the Sprint race scheduled for 1:00 PM local time on Saturday.
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