For the first time since 2019, we were underway in United States Grand Prix Qualifying!
As always, the five slowest drivers were eliminated from qualifying at the end of the first 18-minute segment. Charles Leclerc got underway with a 1:35.281, which was not a spectacular result, but the Monegasque driver was never in any particular danger. Nonetheless Charles returned to the track to improve to a 1:34:153, that allowed him to finish Q1 on the top of the timesheet, with Carlos in P6. Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi, Kimi Raikkonen, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin were out in Q1.
As always, in Q2 it was important to look out for tyre strategy as the tyre a driver sets his fastest lap on in Q2 will also be used to start the race on. As a result, there were plenty of medium tyres on show in Q2, and indeed Charles Leclerc emerged on that compound and secured a place in Q3 on the mediums. Carlos Sainz made his first run on Softs and then returned to the track on mediums for his second run, but unfortunately was not able to improve his time, which means he will have to start on the softer compound. Esteban Ocon, Sebastian Vettel, Antonio Giovinazzi, Fernando Alonso and George Russell were knocked out in Q2.
And that left ten drivers for the pole position shootout at Circuit of the Americas. In Q3 Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz unfortunately were not able to get close to the duo of Mercedes and Red Bull, but still managed to get the most of the SF21 cars to finish fifth and sixth ahead of the McLarens, with Gasly and Tsunoda ninth and 10th. Both Ferrari drivers also gain a position as a result of the penalty of Valtteri Bottas.
Max Verstappen smashed in a cracking 1:32.910, two tenths up on Lewis Hamilton who seals the front row behind his title rival.
US Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying ahead of tomorrow’s 2021 F1 World Championship race at COTA.
Results (Classification):
Q3
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:32.910
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.209
Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.224
Valtteri Bottas Mercedes +0.565
Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.696
Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.882
Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.898
Lando Norris McLaren +0.977
Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.208
Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +2.008
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