Formula 1: Verstappen snatches pole position from Hamilton at US Grand Prix

In a nail-biting qualification at the United States Grand Prix, Max Verstappen snatched the pole position from defending champion Lewis Hamilton in the dying seconds of the third qualifiers on Saturday at Austin, Texas. 

For the seventh time this season, Verstappen and Hamilton will lock out the front row yet again tomorrow. Although the Briton had a smashing second lap in Q3 of 1:34.579 minutes, Verstappen pulled up in his final lap to overcome Hamilton by two-tenths of a second.

Also read: F1 has different rules for different people: Alonso after Sochi run-off incident

Given their history of race-changing collisions already this season — they’ve wrecked twice during a race and on Friday in practice Verstappen flipped his middle finger and called Hamilton a ‘stupid idiot’ – the fight for the lead should be fierce.

Since the track opened in 2012, the winner has come from the front row every time.

Meanwhile, taking up P3 on Sunday was the other Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, who had taken the provisional pole after the first round of laps in the third round of qualifiers.

Also read: Formula 1 to debut in Qatar as it finalises 22-round 2021 calendar

Behind Perez will be Hamilton’s departing teammate Valterri Bottas, who clocked a 1 minute 33.475 seconds lap time. Having two drivers in the Top 3 will give a massive boost to Red Bull, who seemed to have picked up the pace massively since the first practice session. 

In the third row sits the two Ferraris — Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Sitting just ahead of their mid-table rivals, McLaren, will give them a boost of confidence. Given Texas’ dry heat, the race is expected to be a two-stop race and final positions will massively depend on what strategy each team opts for.  

Also read: Formula 1: Is 2021 the end of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes’ dominance?

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo’s papaya McLarens will follow the Ferrari toe-to-toe and could be an exciting team battle to watch. The Alphatauris — Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda — will sit at ninth and tenth. 

The race was cancelled last year by the coronavirus pandemic and enthusiastic crowds have turned out for Formula One in its return. Race organizers expected 120,000 fans for Saturday qualifying and a sold-out 140,00 for Sunday’s race. The size of the crowd would qualify as one of the largest for a sporting event since the start of the pandemic.