Max Verstappen would start from pole position for the first time in nearly four months on Saturday, after securing the top spot for the Sprint at the 2024 United States Grand Prix. His title rival, Lando Norris, qualified only fourth.
Ahead of a weekend where Red Bull’s car has drawn considerable attention off the track, Verstappen managed the limited practice time—just one hour—best, edging out Mercedes’ George Russell by a mere 0.012 seconds to claim the fastest time in qualifying.
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Saturday’s 19-lap Sprint race offering eight points to the winner, marks Verstappen’s first pole position since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix on 30 June 30, which was also the last Sprint event of the season.
As the final driver to complete his SQ3 lap, Verstappen delivered a well-executed 1:32.833 at the Circuit of the Americas, narrowly beating Russell, who had set the early benchmark.
Norris, trailing Verstappen by 52 points in the world championship and needing to close the gap to stay in contention, could only manage fourth. He would start from the second row alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who qualified third.
In a blow to McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship hopes, Oscar Piastri qualified only 16th after his fastest lap in SQ1 was deleted due to exceeding track limits at Turn 19.
Red Bull also faced setbacks, as Sergio Perez failed to make the top 10, qualifying 11th after being eliminated in SQ2. The Mexican remaining under pressure after another disappointing result.
United States GP Sprint Qualifying Results
2024 United States Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying, 18 October 2024
2024 United States Sprint Starting Grid
The Sprint starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2024 United States Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying session.
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