MAX VERSTAPPEN maintained pressure on McLaren’s championship contenders by securing pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the United States Grand Prix.
The four-time champion delivered his best lap during the final seconds of a closely contested qualifying session on Friday.
Verstappen outpaced Lando Norris by 0.071 seconds, placing the British driver second on the grid alongside him.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri qualified third in the second McLaren, three-tenths behind Verstappen’s pole lap.
Piastri continues to struggle recreating the form that has given him a 22-point lead over Norris and 63-point advantage over Verstappen.
Verstappen expressed satisfaction with his performance after the session concluded.
“Yes, that was a nice qualifying,“ the Dutchman said with a grin.
“It was tight through all the segments and I just tried to put it all together, which is not easy but it came together in the end.”
The Red Bull driver anticipates a challenging battle during Saturday’s sprint race.
“I expect it will be a tough battle in the sprint race, but that’s what we all want to see isn’t it?”
This marks Verstappen’s third consecutive sprint qualifying success at the Circuit of the Americas.
The achievement represents his 10th sprint pole position in 22 attempts since the format’s introduction in 2022.
Verstappen has already reduced Piastri’s championship lead by 41 points in recent races.
The Dutch driver has reignited his bid for a fifth consecutive world championship title.
Verstappen possesses both the belief and experience to achieve the record feat of overcoming such a large points deficit.
Only six races remain in the 2025 Formula One season.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies praised Verstappen’s exceptional driving capabilities.
Mekies acknowledged Verstappen’s ability to consistently outperform his car’s potential.
The Red Bull boss expressed confidence in his team’s competitive position for the remaining races.
“We believe Red Bull are now equipped to fight to win all of the remaining events,“ Mekies stated.
Qualifying occurred during extreme Texas heat with air temperatures reaching 91.4°F (33°C).
Track temperatures soared to 113°F (45°C) during the afternoon session.
Teams utilized cooling vests for pit crew members due to the hazardous heat conditions.
French rookie Isack Hadjar initially set the pace in his Racing Bulls vehicle.
All drivers began the session using medium compound tyres as required by regulations.
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz returned to action after experiencing gearbox problems during practice.
Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen quickly established themselves at the front during the first qualifying segment.
Verstappen posted a time of 1:34.140 to lead Hamilton by 0.086 seconds in SQ1.
Piastri secured third position during the closing moments of the first segment.
Norris eventually topped the timing sheets with a lap of 1:33.224 before the session concluded.
Leclerc narrowly advanced to the next round while several drivers faced elimination.
Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull failed to progress beyond the first qualifying segment.
Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, and Gabriel Bortoleto also exited qualifying early.
Verstappen continued his strong form by setting the pace early in SQ3 with a time of 1:33.163.
Piastri briefly held second position before Norris claimed the top spot with 1:33.033.
Ferrari encountered continued difficulties throughout the qualifying hour.
Leclerc and Hamilton secured their SQ3 positions with last-minute efforts.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli qualified 11th, just missing the final segment.
Nico Hülkenberg delivered the surprise performance of the day in his Ferrari-powered Sauber.
The German driver advanced to SQ3 in fifth position for his first top-ten qualifying appearance this season.
George Russell initiated the final segment after all teams switched to soft compound tyres.
Russell established an early benchmark of 1:32.888 before other competitors completed their runs.
The session culminated in dramatic fashion during the final minutes.
Verstappen’s ultimate lap of 1:32.143 secured his third consecutive Austin sprint pole position.
The Dutchman surpassed both McLaren drivers and the impressive Hülkenberg with his final effort. – AFP
