2023-10-20 22:45:00
Austin (United States) (AFP) – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) will start from pole position for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix on Sunday after setting the best qualifying time on Friday at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin (5.513 km).
Published on: 10/21/2023 – 00:45
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The Monegasque beat the British Lando Norris (McLaren) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), while the triple world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will only start from sixth position.
In the Texan heat (35°C in the air, more than 40 on the track), Leclerc took the 21st pole position of his career, the third this season after Azerbaijan in April and Belgium in July.
“I love this track, I love the atmosphere around this track, in this city, in this country. It’s great to be here,” commented the Monegasque.
This is the Scuderia’s fifth pole in 2023, adding those of Carlos Sainz in Italy and Singapore in September. The Spaniard set the 4th fastest time on Friday.
Verstappen thought he had done what was necessary to snatch pole position by improving Leclerc’s time by five thousandths, but his time was deleted because the Dutchman exceeded the limits of the track in the last corner.
Crowned world champion for the third time in a row two weeks ago in Qatar, the Red Bull driver nevertheless achieved the best time in the only free practice session on Friday noon. But once is not customary, he did not confirm in qualifying, achieving no best time, neither in Q1, nor in Q2, nor in Q3.
He will therefore start on the third row, alongside the second Mercedes, driven by Briton George Russell.
The two Frenchmen Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon will occupy the fourth row at the wheel of the two Alpine single-seaters, while the Top 10 is completed by the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) and the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren).
The main surprise of qualifying came from Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), only 17th. The Spanish veteran had until then always reached Q3 in the first 17 Grands Prix of the season.
The United States Grand Prix, 18th of 22 rounds this season, is scheduled for Sunday at 9:00 p.m. It will be preceded on Saturday by a sprint race, with qualifying beforehand.
© 2023 AFP
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