Q1

The United States Grand Prix qualifying kicked off under bright skies at the Circuit of The Americas, just hours after an action-packed sprint race. The pit lane was already crowded with cars as drivers waited for the green light. Esteban Ocon was first out, leading the initial wave, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri joined soon after, eager to put their sprint woes behind them.

The session was soon interrupted when Isack Hadjar lost control and crashed into the barriers, bringing out a red flag. The French driver slammed the steering wheel in frustration as his car was cleared from the track. Once action resumed, the field scrambled back onto soft tyres, except Lewis Hamilton who had experimented with used mediums before switching to softs.

Lando Norris had a nervy moment early on, running wide and abandoning his first lap, while Charles Leclerc went fastest with a 1m 33.525s, just ahead of Max Verstappen. Verstappen quickly responded, setting the quickest lap at 1m 33.207s. At the other end, the session was a struggle for several drivers. Alexander Albon had his lap deleted for exceeding track limits, Lance Stroll also lost his effort, and along with Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon, and Hadjar, they were all knocked out of qualifying.

Knocked out: Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Alexander Albon, Isack Hadjar

Q2

Q2 saw the remaining drivers back on the track with fresh soft tyres, ready to fight for a place in the final ten. Max Verstappen quickly proved his pace was unmatched, setting a 1m 32.701s and staying comfortably at the top. Charles Leclerc slotted into second, just 0.168s off, while Lando Norris took third. Hamilton was fourth, with Piastri in seventh, feeling the pressure to advance.

The session was tough for several mid-field drivers. Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto struggled to match the pace of the leaders and were ultimately eliminated. Tsunoda couldn’t improve his lap, Gasly had time deleted for exceeding track limits, and Lawson could not secure a fast enough time. Verstappen remained untouchable at the top, showing that he was in fine form ahead of the final shootout.

Knocked out: Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Franco Colapinto

Q3

The top ten drivers faced the decisive Q3 with tension high. Most went out on fresh soft tyres, while a few like Piastri, Alonso and Sainz chose used sets, hoping to save their best for a final push. Max Verstappen immediately set the benchmark with a 1m 32.510s, a lap nearly four tenths faster than Lando Norris. The McLaren driver impressed by holding P2, while Charles Leclerc recovered from an early spin to slot into third.

In the final runs, Verstappen missed the start of his lap due to a timing issue and couldn’t improve his time, leaving him to rely on his earlier effort. Norris pushed hard but couldn’t catch the Red Bull, while Leclerc managed to keep P3. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton followed in fourth and fifth, and Piastri finished sixth, struggling on a challenging day. Rounding out the top ten were Antonelli, Bearman, Sainz and Alonso, setting up what promises to be an exciting race on Sunday.