2023-10-20 23:24:00
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari achieved the feat of defeating Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the race for the 18th pole position of the season on Friday. On the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, the Monegasque took his 21st career pole position, his third of the season following Baku and Spa-Francorchamps, at the end of a qualifying where the poor form of the RB19 n°1 and the irritation of its star driver allowed the usual challengers to do well.
It was indeed necessary to keep one’s composure to achieve the perfect lap on the route made up of high-speed sequences – the famous esses in particular – imagined by Herman Tilke, and the driver from the Principality reminded everyone that it remained a sure value in the exercise by completing the affair in 1’34″723, at the closing of the track. A deserved distinction since he managed to improve the time of his provisional pole position signed in 1’34″829.
Verstappen gets angry with Pérez and his team
Feeling since the only free practice session that he had a real chance, the 2022 world vice-champion deployed his precise driving without putting himself in danger, unlike, for example, a George Russell (Mercedes) reduced to nothing bet on the gong because of an “off” in turn n°9. And the other driver caught in the federal basket is none other than Max Verstappen! With all four wheels beyond the fateful white line in turn no. 19, the three-time world champion lost his time of 1’34″718 which would have earned him, as his engineer pointed out, pole position. But, we forget, despite his 14 victories in 17 races, the Batavian has a small weakness, from time to time, on the single lap this year.
Caught by the patrol, “Super Max” may also have been a victim of his temper, which resurfaces when things don’t go as planned. In his previous run, he had put his third time, 0″252 behind Charles Leclerc, on the back of Sergio Pérez, who frankly had nothing to do with it. “Well done guys!, he joked on the radio. What was he doing in the last corner?” “Checo” finished his lap, he didn’t really bother his leader, sent onto the track just a few seconds too late.
Max Verstappen in Austin, during the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix
Credit: Getty Images
The Alpine are still there, Alonso eliminated in Q1
Adrift, Max Verstappen therefore rolled out the red carpet for Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris (McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and also George Russell (Mercedes). Sixth is therefore his worst result of the season in Q3, excluding technical problems (15th in Jeddah), bad luck (9th in Miami) and non-competitive equipment (11th in Singapore).
On the sidelines of this agitation, the Alpine boys had the merit of maximizing the potential of their machines as they did two weeks ago at Losail, at the heart of a weekend with already a sprint, for the same result : Pierre Gasly 7th and Esteban Ocon 8th. The best overall results since the Miami-Monaco-Montmelo triptych at the start of the season.
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) under pressure and still off topic (9th at 0″450), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), closes the top 10. Sparkling in Qatar, the Australian has reason to be disappointed, but less than Fernando Alonso ( Aston Martin), absent for the first time of the season from Q3 and even eliminated from Q1. With a doubt that has started to creep in over the last few weeks.
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