UNITED STATES: Charles Leclerc secured a remarkable pole position for the upcoming US Grand Prix, outpacing his rivals in a gripping qualifying session in Austin. The Ferrari driver’s scintillating performance edged out Lando Norris for the coveted P1 grid slot.
Initially, Max Verstappen had clinched the pole-worthy time, but a track limits violation at Turn 19 led to a penalization, dropping him to a challenging sixth position on the grid. Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, and George Russell rounded off the top five contenders.
However, disappointment loomed for the Aston Martin camp, as both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll faced a surprising exit in Q1. Their struggles to extract pace from the updated AMR23 saw them relegated to the 17th and 19th positions, respectively.
The unique sprint format at Circuit of The Americas prompted an early Friday qualifying session, setting the stage for Sunday’s race. Drivers were eager to hit the track in the scorching Texan afternoon during Q1.
Lance Stroll, grappling with limited data due to brake issues earlier, sought a swift recovery. As the session unfolded, the times improved, with the bottom five slots remaining uncertain. Carlos Sainz’s impressive 1:35.824 was the closest to the FP1 laps. The leaderboard witnessed constant shuffling, keeping the session fiercely contested.
However, the most startling development came with both Aston Martin drivers, Alonso and Stroll, being eliminated in Q1, showcasing the challenges faced by the upgraded AMR23.
Q2 witnessed a tense battle for a spot in the top 10. Lando Norris faced added pressure with a lap time deletion, while Alpine drivers surged into the top five, signalling a notable performance shift.
The Ferrari duo, Leclerc and Sainz, set the pace, with Verstappen closely trailing. The stage was set for a multi-team battle for pole position.
As the Q3 finale unfolded, Leclerc’s lightning-fast performance secured a provisional pole position. Hamilton’s determined effort brought him tantalizingly close, landing him on the provisional front row. Verstappen, however, faced frustration over team radio, as a late hiccup led to a track limits breach.
The final laps proved critical. Leclerc’s stellar performance clinched pole position, while Verstappen’s track limits violation dropped him to fifth. Hamilton, Russell, and Sainz rounded off the top positions, setting the stage for an electrifying showdown on Sunday.’
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