United States Grand Prix: a dramatic pole and a crowded grid in Austin
The third pole of the season was earned by Carlos Sainz as the United States Grand Prix at the Americas Circuit in Austin began a new chapter in the 2022 calendar. The Ferrari driver held off a balanced challenge from Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen and will line up on the front row Sunday night at 9:00 pm, chasing a second victory in Formula 1. A suspension penalty for Leclerc, who had an internal combustion engine and turbo replaced, reshaped the starting order and handed Sainz second place on the grid.
The energy in the atmosphere built from the very start of the session as Verstappen pushed hard against Leclerc and Sainz. Sunday promises a tough battle as Sergio Perez faces a five-place penalty, Leclerc drops ten places for the engine change, and Sainz along with Verstappen continue to push for pole. The day’s quickest lap was Embodied by Red Bull showing strong pace with a time of 1 minute 35.297 seconds in Q1, with Leclerc and Verstappen close behind by fractions of a second.
Carlos Sainz publicly expressed confidence about the challenge ahead, with the moment captured in a widely shared post from ESPN F1. The moment underscored the competitive spirit among the top teams and drivers as they prepared for the shootout in Austin. (ESPN F1, October 22, 2022)
Early in qualifying, two surprises emerged as Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon were eliminated ahead of the Q1 cut, alongside Kevin Magnussen, Mick Schumacher, and Nicholas Latifi from Williams. Fernando Alonso, who faced a five-row penalty for engine changes that weekend, nonetheless advanced into the next round in seventh place, signaling the endurance and speed of the Alpine driver as the session unfolded.
Day two offered a fresh chance as the field charged into Q2, where Leclerc set the fastest time of 1 minute 35.246 seconds. Verstappen remained just behind, a mere 0.048 seconds off the pace, while Sainz trailed by about three tenths of a second. Alonso continued to push hard to secure a place in Q3, finishing in seventh. Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo entered the pole fight, but a track limit violation nullified his best lap. Lando Norris and McLaren found themselves fighting to stay in the mix as the battle for fourth place intensified between McLaren and Alpine. Other drivers like Alex Albon at Williams, Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri, and others kept grinding toward Q3 and a spot on the grid.
Álex Palou zips up his big day in Formula 1
Laura Lopez Albiac’s photo.
Alonso, Perez and Leclerc continued their duel in the final qualifying segment, with each driver aiming to minimize any disadvantage on a track where overtaking is feasible. The trio tested the limits of the car and tire management as final attempts loomed, knowing that any late misstep could alter the starting grid and the race outcome.
Verstappen, who secured a second world title mathematically two weeks earlier in Japan, sought his first pole of the season in Austin last year. He ran a representative practice lap before the last minute attempt, but Sainz surged ahead on a packed final lap to claim pole position in a session defined by razor-thin margins and intense parity among the favorites.
United States GP. classification:
1st Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 1:34.356
2nd Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:34.421
3rd Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:34.448
4th Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 1:34.645
5th Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:34.947
6th George Russell (Mercedes) 1:34.988
7th Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 1:35.598
8th Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:35.690
9th Fernando Alonso (Alpine) 1:35.876
10th Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) 1:36.319
___Q2
11th Alex Albon (Williams) 1:36.368
12th Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) 1:36.398
13th Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1:36.740
14th Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) 1:36.970
15th Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) 1:37.147
___Q3
16th Kevin Magnussen (Haas) 1:36.949
17th Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:37.046
18th Esteban Ocon (Alpine) 1:37.068
19th Mick Schumacher (Haas) 1:37.111
20th Nicholas Latifi (Williams) 1:37.244