Can Verstappen Secure US Grand Prix Sprint Pole?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Max Verstappen clinched pole position at the US Grand Prix Sprint.
- Lando Norris finished just behind him in second place.
- Oscar Piastri secured third, showcasing McLaren's competitiveness.
- Several drivers faced challenges with track limits, affecting their qualifying times.
- Excitement builds as the race day approaches!
Austin, Oct 18 (NationPress) Max Verstappen has secured the top spot for the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix, showcasing a remarkable lap during the final seconds of Sprint Qualifying that surpassed both McLaren competitors.
Lando Norris led the pack throughout the session, dominating SQ1 and SQ2, and initially seemed poised to repeat this success in SQ3. However, it was Verstappen who ultimately clocked the fastest time, with a stunning effort of 1m 32.143s, finishing just 0.071s ahead of Norris.
The other McLaren driver, Oscar Piastri, trailed Verstappen by just over three-tenths in third place, while Nico Hulkenberg made an impression by placing his Kick Sauber in P4. George Russell from Mercedes rounded out the top five, followed closely by Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin, according to reports from Formula 1.
Carlos Sainz of Williams made a strong recovery from limited practice time, securing seventh on the grid, while his teammate Alex Albon finished ninth.
Lewis Hamilton found himself between the two Williams drivers, navigating what appeared to be a challenging session for Ferrari. His teammate Charles Leclerc completed the top ten.
Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes narrowly missed advancing to SQ3 by just 0.006s. Additionally, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Liam Lawson from Racing Bulls both had their lap times invalidated due to track limits, leaving them in 14th and 15th positions.
Several drivers were unable to cross the finish line in time for their final laps during a chaotic end to SQ1, including Ollie Bearman from Haas (P16), Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull (P18), Esteban Ocon from Haas (P19), and Gabriel Bortoleto from Kick Sauber (P20).
Also exiting in the opening segment of Sprint Qualifying was Franco Colapinto from Alpine, who concluded the session in P17.