2023-10-20 22:03:00
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Hamilton and Sainz will be on the second row
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Free practice for the United States F1 Grand Prix was dominated by Max Verstappen, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. And although the now three-time world champion is the favorite for pole position, his rivals are increasingly numerous in qualifying.
Thus, we can count on the Ferrari and Mercedes F1 drivers to try to take pole position. Behind these teams, McLaren might be close, as the Woking team did not use the soft tires in Free Practice and did not reveal its full potential.
This is also the case for Aston Martin, which did not even use mediums. Also, we do not know what Fernando Alonso will have the potential to achieve during this qualifying session. His teammate Lance Stroll risks having a difficult part because of a brake problem in free practice which prevented him from training.
The weather is more than mild with 35 degrees in the air and 42 on the track, while the sun has been shining on the Circuit of the Americas since the start of Friday.
Q1 – 18 minutes
Logan Sargeant, the local of the stage, was the first to set off for a timed lap during this Q1. The soft tires were obviously out for everyone, the gaps being too tight for a team to try to use the medium tires.
The American finally aborted his time, probably due to some small adjustments to be made on his FW45. Valtteri Bottas signed the first fast lap in 1’36″843, ahead of Guanyu Zhou and Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
Lando Norris took the lead in 1’36″640, quickly beaten by Charles Leclerc in 1’36″622. Oscar Piastri was provisionally third, less than two tenths behind his teammate Norris.
For his first timed lap, Carlos Sainz slipped between the two Alfa Romeos, and Lance Stroll took provisional ninth place. Sergio Pérez placed third, 0”058 behind Leclerc.
Max Verstappen set the best time in 1’36″470, 0″152 better than Leclerc. Fernando Alonso took seventh fastest time between Bottas and Sainz. The Mercedes F1 drivers were on a fast lap and Lewis Hamilton took the fifth fastest time, while George Russell positioned himself third.
Nico Hülkenberg signed his first lap in 1’36″235, taking the best time with the upgraded Haas. Kevin Magnussen, however, only took the 12th time. Daniel Ricciardo finished with the 14th time, and Gasly improved his time with the best time in 1’36″158.
Sargeant was back on track following his time was canceled for not respecting track limits. Ocon was positioned fourth and Stroll sixth, while Sainz, 18th, returned to the track to attack the time. Leclerc set the best time in 1’36″119, beaten by Sainz in 1’35″824.
Verstappen took the best time in 1’35″346, following a very big last sector in which he took 3 tenths back from Sainz. Pérez placed third, but six tenths behind his teammate.
Tsunoda moved up to 15th and Hamilton took the best time in 1’35″091. Albon moved up to eighth and Russell seventh. Sargeant took 14th time, and Norris second with the best third sector. And Guanyu Zhou moved up to sixth rank !
Daniel Ricciardo improved to tenth, Magnussen took sixth, Tsunoda fifth, and Piastri tenth. Bottas moved back into the top 10, and Ocon set the 12th time.
Alonso progressed to only 17th place, sealing the elimination of the two Aston Martins even though the Spaniard had only made Q3 this year! Hülkenberg did not avoid the ax even though he seemed very fast.
Those eliminated were Hülkenberg, Alonso, Albon, Stroll and Sargeant.
Q2 – 15 minutes
Leclerc was the first to set a time of 1’35″888, while Sainz took second place. Hamilton took the best time in 1’35″779, beaten by his teammate Russell in 1’35” 759.
Piastri broke the best mark in 1’35″576, beaten by Verstappen in 1’35″491. Gasly set the third time, a tenth behind Verstappen. Bottas, Ricciardo, Magnussen and Zhou slotted between the Ferraris, while Norris saw his time canceled for failure to respect track limits.
Ocon placed third by a tenth as well, and Pérez signed the fifth time at 0″188. Tsunoda signed the eighth time, and the top eight were within three tenths halfway through this Q2.
Leclerc regained the lead of the session in 1’35″004, and Sainz positioned himself second, but almost 3 tenths behind his teammate. Verstappen improved but fell short of 4 thousandths of a second from Leclerc at the top of the standings .
Norris took fourth place just ahead of Piastri, who was on an exit lap. Zhou took the ninth provisional time, Tsunoda moved up to ninth, and Bottas was only 13th. Gasly took fifth place.
Hamilton took third time to secure a Q3, and Russell took only ninth time, putting Pérez in danger. Ocon set the fifth time.
Those eliminated were Tsunoda, Zhou, Bottas, Magnussen and Ricciardo.
Q3 – 12 minutes
Verstappen set the first benchmark of this last part of qualifying in 1’35″081. Leclerc beat him in 1’34″829, by almost three tenths of a margin! Norris set the third time, seven tenths behind Verstappen and Sainz came between the two men. Piastri did not do better with the fifth fastest time.
Ocon took the tenth time, and Gasly the fourth provisional time. Russell placed fifth and Pérez moved up to fifth in turn, and Hamilton placed second ahead of Hamilton. Russell had his time canceled for not respecting track limits.
Leclerc finished his second lap by improving, in 1’34″723! Norris placed second in 1’34″853, and Sainz only moved up to fourth. Verstappen took the best time in 1’34″718, by five thousandths!
Piastri took seventh time, and Ocon moved up to sixth. Verstappen’s time was canceled for failure to respect track limits! Hamilton moved up to third, and Russell was no better than fifth, pushing Verstappen back to sixth.
Leclerc therefore takes pole ahead of Norris, and Hamilton and Sainz will share the second row on Sunday. Russell is fifth and will be on the third row with Verstappen in front of the Alpine of Gasly and Ocon, then Pérez and Piastri.
Pos.PiloteVoitureTemps Q1Temps Q2Temps Q3 01 Charles Leclerc Ferrari SF-23 1:36.061 1:35.004 1:34.723 02 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes MCL60 1:35.110 1:35.441 1:34.853 03 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes W14 1:35.091 1 :35,240 1: 34,862 04 Carlos Sainz Ferrari SF-23 1:35,824 1:35,302 1:34,945 05 George Russell Mercedes W14 1:36,165 1:35,606 1:35,079 06 Max Verstappen Red Bull Honda RBPT RB19 1:35,346 1:35,008 1:35 .081 07 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault A523 1:36.158 1:35.496 1:35.089 08 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault A523 1:36.131 1:35.413 1:35.154 09 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Honda RBPT RB19 1:35.989 1:35.679 1:35.173 1 0 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes MCL60 1:36.064 1:35.576 1:35.467 — —————- ————— ——– — ———- ———- 11 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri Honda RBPT AT04 1:35.913 1:35.697 12 Guanyu Zhou Alfa Romeo Ferrari C43 1:36.052 1:35.698 13 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo Ferrari C43 1:36.082 1:35.858 14 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari VF-23 1:36.009 1:35.880 15 Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri Honda RBPT AT04 1:36.213 1:35.974 — ———– —– ————— ———- ———- ———- 16 Nico Hülkenberg Haas Ferrari VF-23 1:36.235 17 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Mercedes AMR23 1:36.268 18 Alex Albon Williams Mercedes FW45 1:36.315 19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Mercedes AMR23 1:35.589 20 Logan Sargeant Williams Mercedes FW45 1:36.827
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