F1 Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen takes US pole
Max Verstappen took pole position for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, the 17th round of the 2021 F1 World Championship, ahead of title rival Lewis Hamilton.
Red Bull’s Verstappen will start ahead of Hamilton (Mercedes) and teammate Sergio Perez after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.
US Grand Prix grid results: Verstappen on pole from Perez
| Cla | Driver | Time | Gap | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Max Verstappen |  | 1'32.910 | 213.613 | |
| 2 |  Lewis Hamilton |  | 1'33.119 | 0.209 | 213.133 |
| 3 |  Sergio Perez |  | 1'33.134 | 0.224 | 213.099 |
| 4 |  Charles Leclerc |  | 1'33.606 | 0.696 | 212.024 |
| 5 |  Carlos Sainz Jr. |  | 1'33.792 | 0.882 | 211.604 |
| 6 |  Daniel Ricciardo |  | 1'33.808 | 0.898 | 211.568 |
| 7 | Lando Norris |  | 1'33.887 | 0.977 | 211.390 |
| 8 |  Pierre Gasly |  | 1'34.118 | 1.208 | 210.871 |
| 9 |  Valtteri Bottas |  | 1'33.475 | 0.565 | 212.322 |
| 10 |  Yuki Tsunoda |  | 1'34.918 | 2.008 | 209.094 |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon |  | 1'35.377 | 2.467 | 208.087 |
| 12 |  Antonio Giovinazzi |  | 1'35.794 | 2.884 | 207.182 |
| 13 |  Lance Stroll |  | 1'35.983 | 3.073 | 206.774 |
| 14 | Nicholas Latifi |  | 1'35.995 | 3.085 | 206.748 |
| 15 | Kimi Raikkonen |  | 1'36.311 | 3.401 | 206.069 |
| 16 |  Mick Schumacher |  | 1'36.499 | 3.589 | 205.668 |
| 17 |  Nikita Mazepin |  | 1'36.796 | 3.886 | 205.037 |
| 18 | Sebastian Vettel |  | 1'35.500 | 2.590 | 207.819 |
| 19 | George Russell |  | |||
| 20 | Fernando Alonso |  | 1'44.549 | 11.639 | 189.832 |
| View full results | |||||
What happened in Q1?
Verstappen set the initial bar at 1m34.521s, 0.054s faster than Perez, with both Red Bulls ahead of the Mercedes duo. McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo then beat everyone with a lap of 1m34.407s, before Verstappen took P1 back on a second run with 1m34.352s and Perez almost matched him again, 0.017s slower this time.
On his final lap, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc grabbed P1 on 1m34.153s, beating both the Red Bulls and the McLarens. The Mercedes cars dropped back to eighth and ninth, despite running again on scrubbed soft tyres.
Falling at the first hurdle were the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi (Williams), the Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen and the Haases of Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.
US Grand Prix Q1 results: Leclerc fastest from Verstappen
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 8 | 1'34.153 | 210.793 | ||
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 6 | 1'34.352 | 0.199 | 0.199 | 210.348 |
| 3 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 6 | 1'34.369 | 0.216 | 0.017 | 210.310 |
| 4 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 3 | 1'34.407 | 0.254 | 0.038 | 210.225 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 3 | 1'34.551 | 0.398 | 0.144 | 209.905 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 3 | 1'34.558 | 0.405 | 0.007 | 209.890 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 6 | 1'34.567 | 0.414 | 0.009 | 209.870 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 6 | 1'34.579 | 0.426 | 0.012 | 209.843 |
| 9 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 6 | 1'34.590 | 0.437 | 0.011 | 209.819 |
| 10 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 6 | 1'35.281 | 1.128 | 0.691 | 208.297 |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 6 | 1'35.360 | 1.207 | 0.079 | 208.125 |
| 12 | George Russell | Williams | 6 | 1'35.746 | 1.593 | 0.386 | 207.285 |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 6 | 1'35.747 | 1.594 | 0.001 | 207.283 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 6 | 1'35.756 | 1.603 | 0.009 | 207.264 |
| 15 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 5 | 1'35.920 | 1.767 | 0.164 | 206.909 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 7 | 1'35.983 | 1.830 | 0.063 | 206.774 |
| 17 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 6 | 1'35.995 | 1.842 | 0.012 | 206.748 |
| 18 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | 7 | 1'36.311 | 2.158 | 0.316 | 206.069 |
| 19 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | 9 | 1'36.499 | 2.346 | 0.188 | 205.668 |
| 20 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas | 8 | 1'36.796 | 2.643 | 0.297 | 205.037 |
| View full results | |||||||
What happened in Q2?
Verstappen set the Q2 bar at 1m33.464s on his solo run, a third of a second ahead Hamilton on 1m33.797s as most of the frontrunners used the medium tyres to ensure they’ll start on that compound.
Norris was third, ahead of Leclerc, Bottas and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz (using the soft tyre) – while Perez and Ricciardo lost laps for exceeding track limits at Turn 19 and 9 respectively and had to run again, both making it through to Q3.
Knocked out at this point were Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), Fernando Alonso (Alpine, who gave Ocon a big tow on the back straight) and George Russell (Williams, whose 13th-fastest lap was deleted for track limits). Vettel, Alonso and Russell will start at the rear of the grid due to engine penalties.
US Grand Prix Q2 results: Verstappen fastest from Hamilton
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 3 | 1'33.464 | 212.346 | ||
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 3 | 1'33.797 | 0.333 | 0.333 | 211.593 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 5 | 1'33.880 | 0.416 | 0.083 | 211.406 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 3 | 1'33.928 | 0.464 | 0.048 | 211.298 |
| 5 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 3 | 1'33.959 | 0.495 | 0.031 | 211.228 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 6 | 1'34.126 | 0.662 | 0.167 | 210.853 |
| 7 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 6 | 1'34.178 | 0.714 | 0.052 | 210.737 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 5 | 1'34.583 | 1.119 | 0.405 | 209.834 |
| 9 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 6 | 1'34.643 | 1.179 | 0.060 | 209.701 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 6 | 1'35.137 | 1.673 | 0.494 | 208.612 |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 6 | 1'35.377 | 1.913 | 0.240 | 208.087 |
| 12 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 3 | 1'35.500 | 2.036 | 0.123 | 207.819 |
| 13 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 3 | 1'35.794 | 2.330 | 0.294 | 207.182 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 6 | 1'44.549 | 11.085 | 8.755 | 189.832 |
| 15 | George Russell | Williams | 5 | ||||
| View full results | |||||||
What happened in Q3?
On the first runs, Hamilton’s 1m33.564s was beaten by Bottas by 0.089s on 1m33.475s. Verstappen then unleashed 1m33.199s to take P1, but Perez snatched it off him by 0.019s on 1m33.180s for provisional pole.
On the final runs, Hamilton aced the middle sector to grab P1 with 1m33.119 but Verstappen wasn’t to be denied and produced 1m32.910s for pole position by two-tenths of a second – despite spots of drizzle towards the end of his lap.
Perez was third fastest, ahead of Bottas (who will lose five places due to a grid penalty), Leclerc, Sainz, Ricciardo, Lando Norris (McLaren) and the AlphaTauris of Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda.
US Grand Prix Q3 results: Verstappen takes pole
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 7 | 1'32.910 | 213.613 | ||
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 7 | 1'33.119 | 0.209 | 0.209 | 213.133 |
| 3 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 7 | 1'33.134 | 0.224 | 0.015 | 213.099 |
| 4 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 6 | 1'33.475 | 0.565 | 0.341 | 212.322 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 6 | 1'33.606 | 0.696 | 0.131 | 212.024 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 6 | 1'33.792 | 0.882 | 0.186 | 211.604 |
| 7 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 6 | 1'33.808 | 0.898 | 0.016 | 211.568 |
| 8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 6 | 1'33.887 | 0.977 | 0.079 | 211.390 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 6 | 1'34.118 | 1.208 | 0.231 | 210.871 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 6 | 1'34.918 | 2.008 | 0.800 | 209.094 |
| View full results | |||||||
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