2024 F1 Round 19 United States Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying: Verstappen takes first pole in nearly four months with 1:32.833, Tsunoda ninth as Pérez exits in SQ2

Sprint Qualifying for Round 19 of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the United States Grand Prix, took place at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin early on 19 October, Beijing time. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took first place with a 1:32.833 for his first pole in nearly four months. Mercedes driver George Russell was just 0.012s slower in second, while RB’s Yuki Tsunoda was ninth.

Sprint Qualifying was split into three parts: 12 minutes for SQ1, ten minutes for SQ2 and just eight minutes for SQ3. Medium tyres were mandatory in the first two parts, followed by softs in SQ3. Teams took different approaches to the final segment. The two Mercedes drivers were first to set times, with Russell initially leading the order, before Verstappen produced a 1:32.833 late on to take pole by just 0.012s. It was his first pole across Grand Prix and Sprint Qualifying since the Austrian Grand Prix in June. The other Red Bull suffered a setback: Sergio Pérez was 0.192s slower than Tsunoda in SQ2 and missed the cut in 11th.

The battle for third was also close. Charles Leclerc led the second row with a 1:33.059, while Lando Norris was fourth, 0.024s behind him, and frustrated with his lap. FP1 pace-setter Carlos Sainz was just 0.006s slower than Norris in fifth, leaving Ferrari short of a second-row lockout. Both Haas cars made the top ten at their home event: Nico Hülkenberg was sixth and Kevin Magnussen eighth, with Lewis Hamilton seventh between them. Tsunoda was ninth with a 1:33.802, followed by Williams rookie Franco Colapinto in tenth.

SQ1 ended dramatically. Oscar Piastri’s rear end stepped out beyond the track limits at Turn 19, and his fastest lap was deleted, dropping him from a place in the next round to a shock 16th-place exit. Alexander Albon spun through 360 degrees at the same corner and was also eliminated in SQ1 in 18th, whereas team mate Colapinto went on to qualify tenth. Esteban Ocon was 17th, while the two Saubers again occupied the last two places, Valtteri Bottas 19th and Zhou Guanyu 20th.

SQ2 brought further surprises. Fernando Alonso had set the 12th-fastest time, but it was deleted after all four wheels went beyond the track limits at Turn 19, leaving him 14th without a time. Liam Lawson’s lap had been only 0.232s slower than team mate Tsunoda’s before it was deleted for running wide at Turn 1, leaving him 15th. Lance Stroll was 13th, also without a time. Alpine, sporting an orange livery resembling McLaren’s, had only Gasly progress from SQ1; he ultimately finished 12th.

The 19-lap Sprint will take place in the early hours of 20 October, Beijing time. Norris currently trails Verstappen by 52 points in the drivers’ standings, with six Grands Prix and three Sprints remaining in the season.