F1 US GP: Norris beats Verstappen to pole as Russell crash curtails qualifying.
Lando Norris scored pole position for Formula 1’s 2024 United States Grand Prix as a George Russell crash prevented Max Verstappen and co from completing their final Q3 fliers.
Oct 20, 2024
Alex Kalinauckas
Motorsport.com

Lando Norris scored pole position for Formula 1’s 2024 United States Grand Prix as a George Russell crash prevented Max Verstappen and co from completing their final Q3 fliers. The session was already a shocker for Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton having been eliminated in Q1.

Norris and McLaren will head the grid at Austin in a stunning turnaround from the sprint race, where Verstappen and the Ferrari drivers seemed to have a clear edge. After the first runs in Q3, Norris lead Verstappen by 0.031s – staying ahead despite a massive snap through the penultimate corner largely thanks to a strong middle sector.

On the second attempt on new softs late in the final segment, Verstappen ran ahead of his title rival, having only just avoided a pitlane collision with Pierre Gasly exiting his Alpine garage. But Verstappen’s attempt to topple Norris was thwarted when Russell crashed at the penultimate corner – the Mercedes heading the pack for the final tours. Russell lost the rear of his W15 through the rapid, plunging left-hander and spun off through the gravel trap on the outside to hit the barriers hard, with the resulting double yellow flags meaning no drivers were able to complete their laps.

‘Russell crash curtails qualifying’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...pole/10664648/


United States GP: Qualifying Results
20 Oct 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.

Pos Num Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Diff
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:33.616 1:32.851 1:32.330
2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:33.046 1:32.584 1:32.361 0.031
3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:33.556 1:32.836 1:32.652 0.322
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:33.241 1:32.962 1:32.740 0.410
5 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:33.864 1:33.057 1:32.950 0.620
6 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:33.536 1:33.142 1:32.974 0.644
7 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:33.550 1:33.162 1:33.018 0.688
8 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:33.973 1:33.429 1:33.309 0.979
9 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:33.564 1:33.474 1:33.481 1.151
10 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 1:33.611 1:33.020

‘Full results from Qualifying’;

https://speedcafe.com/united-states-...fying-results/


Norris delighted after beating Verstappen for US pole
20 Oct 2024
France 24

Austin (AFP) – Lando Norris oozed satisfaction on Saturday after beating series leader and three-time champion Max Verstappen to pole position for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.

"It was a beautiful lap," said Norris, after claiming his first American pole and his fourth pole in five races as he seeks to overhaul Verstappen. "I was not going to go much quicker than I did. When you just do a lap and you think 'damn, it's going to be tough to beat that' ... I put everything out on the line and it's what we needed to do.”

"We've been on the back foot pretty much the whole weekend. We've not had the pace of the Ferraris or the Red Bulls, so I had to do something and today I did that so yeah, a cool lap and a nice way to start the race!"

‘Oozed satisfaction’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...en-for-us-pole


'These things happen' - Verstappen upbeat despite yellow flags denying him a shot at US GP pole
20 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

‘Verstappen upbeat’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/th...88229864263058


FIA post-qualifying press conference – United States
20 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site

(Conducted by James Hinchcliffe)
Q: Our second-place starter for tomorrow's US Grand Prix, Max Verstappen. Max, it all came down to that first run a little mistake, it looked like, in Turn 19. Do you think that's maybe where the difference was? Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, on the first lap in Q3, I lost quite a bit of time there. So, yeah, that's unfortunate. But then, I knew that we had another run, but unfortunately I couldn't finish the lap. Otherwise, I think we had a really good shot. But that's how it goes. We're still on the front row at least. The potential was there, you know, to be first so that's very good.

Q: Carlos. A very competitive weekend so far for Ferrari. Competitive session for you as well. You said after the Sprint race, if you could just start a little bit higher than you did in the Sprint, you had a good shot at the win. P3 is a little bit higher. How are you feeling for tomorrow? Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, I mean, that was the target, to do a step in qualifying compared to yesterday. Yesterday we were P5, today we are P3, so we've done a good step in the right direction. A bit gutted for that last lap because I was three tenths up on my lap, the 32.6, going into Turn 16, with only two corners left. But yeah, easy to say now. Anyway, I think we've done some good progress and we should be in the fight tomorrow if we get a clean start and then with the two guys in front, it should be a fun one.

Q: And now your pole sitter for the US Grand Prix, Lando Norris. What a run. It was three poles in the last four races coming in here. Make it four out of the last five. Just talk us through the lap and that first run that got it done. Lando NORRIS: It was a beautiful lap. I was not going to go much quicker than what I did. You know when you just do a lap, well you know… When you just do a lap and you think, ‘damn, it's going to be tough to beat that’. But I put everything out on the line. And it's what we needed to do. We've been on the back foot pretty much the whole weekend. We've not had the pace of the Ferraris or the Red Bulls. So I had to do something. And today, I did that. So yeah, a cool lap and a nice way to start the race tomorrow.

‘FIA press conference’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...aipyu6mGP2sxRd


Horner after Austin's qualifying: 'Positive couple of days'
20 Oct 2024
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl

Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO Christian Horner said, looking back at the Saturday in Austin, after the sprint race and qualifying: “The sprint was a good up lift for the team and our first win since June. Max managed the race beautifully, he just went out and did his thing. Max rode that wave into qualifying and we were quick today.”

“It wasn’t his cleanest lap on the first run in Q3 but the second lap was up, much better and I think he would have been away and got the job done had the yellow flag not come. It’s just one of those things. We are still on the front row and hopefully can fight for the win tomorrow. It’s been a positive couple of days so far.”

'Positive couple of days';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5627/


David Croft shares striking reaction from US Grand Prix crowd after Lewis Hamilton Q1 exit
20 Oct 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Lewis Hamilton was the second-slowest driver in the session after a costly mistake. The two Mercedes drivers set their first laps on used tyres and both found themselves in the bottom five heading into the final moments. George Russell, who’s already sealed the intra-team qualifying battle, comfortably cleared the bar.

There was still time left in the session but he wasn’t in a position to push. The seven-time world champion wouldn’t have had the battery power, tyre life or fuel for another run. Hamilton would drop to 19th, suffering the embarrassment of being outqualified by former teammate Valtteri Bottas. Bottas’ Sauber team haven’t scored a single point this year.

He’ll start Sunday’s race from 18th due to Liam Lawson’s engine penalties. For the second time in three races, he’ll have to fight his way through from the back of the pack after a pitlane start in Azerbaijan. Lewis Hamilton’s Q1 exit at US Grand Prix stuns the crowd. To underline his following in the US, presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she cheers for Hamilton. But if the Democratic VP found time to tune in on Saturday, she would have been stunned.

‘Stunned’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...ilton-q1-exit/


Mercedes ‘keep finding ourselves in this position’ as George Russell airs ‘story of season’ verdict
20 Oct 2024
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com

Russell seemed perplexed by the car’s behaviour. “I mean, all season when the car’s in the sweet spot, we’re fighting for poles and wins,” he said.

“Yesterday, we were both fighting for pole, and today we were both almost out in Q1 and you know, I really pushed it on that last lap, ultimately trying to find performance that wasn’t there — and paid the price. I’m really just disappointed with myself, because everyone’s worked so hard to bring the upgrades.”

He went on to elaborate that Mercedes keeps “finding ourselves in this position. It’s how the cars [are] interacting with the tires, the temperature, small changes, the wind. But, it has been the story of the season — old upgrades, new upgrades. Either we’re there, or we’re half second [or] six tenths off.”

‘Keep finding ourselves in this position’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...-us-grand-prix