US Grand Prix: Lando Norris to start from P1 ahead of Max Verstappen, Hamilton to start from P18 - Results

The United States Grand Prix is set to be an exciting treat for Formula 1 as Lando Norris clinched pole position at COTA. He topped the timesheet by the barest margins as Max Verstappen failed to set his time in the final minutes. A late 25G crash for Mercede’s George Russell pulled out the first double waved yellow flag of the weekend certainly helping Norris to keep that pole position. 

Q1 – Lewis Hamilton shockingly out!

In a surprising turn of events during Qualifying 1, Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver at COTA, was knocked out after a costly error at Turn 12, leaving him 19th. He was joined by Alex Albon, Franco Colapinto, Valtteri Bottas, and Zhou Guyanyu in the eliminations. 

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen set the fastest lap with a time of 1m33.046s, edging out Charles Leclerc by 0.2s. Liam Lawson delivered a strong performance, finishing third in his VCARB. George Russell managed to secure fourth place behind Verstappen and Leclerc as the session concluded.

Q2 – Yuki Tsunoda fails to improve!

In a dramatic Q2 session, Yuki Tsunoda was knocked out at the very last moment by Fernando Alonso. Tsunoda’s elimination means he joins the bottom five: Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Liam Lawson, who also failed to advance.

Meanwhile, credit goes to Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso, and Kevin Magnussen for securing their places in Q3. The top three fastest drivers of Q2 were Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, and Lando Norris, setting up an exciting top-10 shootout for pole position. As the fight for pole intensifies, all eyes are on the top contenders in Q3.

Q3 – McLaren continues to disappoint!

Lando Norris claimed pole position in a dramatic Q3 at the 2024 US Grand Prix! Max Verstappen looked set to beat Norris' time but had to slow down in the final sector due to double-waved yellow flags caused by George Russell's crash. Russell lost control at the penultimate turn, skidding into the wall, though he fortunately emerged unscathed.

This opened the door for Norris, who seized the opportunity to secure the top spot. Verstappen settled for second, with Carlos Sainz rounding out the top three. A lucky break for Norris, who now starts from pole in Austin!

Here is the final starting grid: