Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the United States Grand Prix sprint race after a thrilling qualifying session on Friday. This marks his first pole in 12 races since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May. Verstappen set a fastest lap of 1:32.833, narrowly beating Mercedes’ George Russell by just 0.012 seconds, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc securing third position on the grid.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fourth, trailing Verstappen by 52 points in the championship, followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fifth and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas in sixth. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton took seventh place, ahead of Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), and Williams’ Franco Colapinto. Notably, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri failed to make it into the top 10 shootout.
The intense session saw Verstappen clock his fastest lap on a track with a temperature of 35°C. Early in the session, Charles Leclerc briefly led with a time of 1:33.647, but Oscar Piastri’s late effort was nullified due to exceeding track limits. In the second session, Verstappen climbed to second behind Carlos Sainz, while Perez struggled and was knocked out, finishing 11th.
In the final round, Russell initially set the pace with a lap of 1:32.845, but Verstappen’s delayed run gave him the edge, securing pole with a time of 1:32.833, just ahead of Russell. Leclerc and Norris followed closely, setting the stage for a fierce sprint race.
