F1 | US GP | Qualifying | Verstappen takes pole in Austin, Piastri struggles to P6 - Motorsport

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Verstappen took pole during Qualifying for the F1 US GP, setting the pace around COTA, with Norris and Leclerc finishing up the top three of the grid.

After a chaotic and Safety Car filled Sprint Race earlier today in Austin, the grid is ready to go again, setting the fastest lap around the Circuit of the Americas. With both of the McLaren’s out in the first corner as contact occurred between them, followed by Fernando Alonso as he picked up a puncture due to the debris on track. The Sprint Race ended under a Safety Car as Lance Stroll crashed into Esteban Ocon, causing both of them to DNF. Due to this crash, the stewards handed Stroll a five-place grid penalty for the race on Sunday.

Q1

Early red flag

As the F1 Qualifying of the US GP was about to start, the cars started to pile up in the pit lane, almost all but the two McLarens as the mechanics were still working on them right before the session started. Ocon is the first to set a fast lap in this Qualifying session, as Isack Hadjar hit the barriers at Turn 6, causing a red flag. As most of the cars except Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli had already started their out laps, the drivers could have overused their tyres for their fast laps. Handing an advantage to both Antonelli and Verstappen that did not use their tyres.

🔴 RED FLAG 🔴

Isack Hadjar has crashed at Turn 6, and he's fuming in the cockpit! 😱

He gets out of the car and is ok#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/BrEiiGu16Y
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

Back to action

With the barrier being repaired and the track being cleared, the cars got out of the pits again, trying to lose the traffic. Verstappen is the only driver with unused Soft tyres, as the others fitted used tyres. With the F1 US GP being a Sprint weekend, the teams have fewer tyres for Qualifying. Nico Hülkenberg was the first to start his fast lap, as no one did set one at this point of Q1.

While the first fast laps started to come in, Sainz didn’t finish his lap and went straight back into the pits, as Alonso set the fastest lap (1:33.741) with 10 minutes left of Q1. Though, Verstappen (1:33.590) and Leclerc (1:33.525) put their cars on top of the Aston Martin. As both McLaren drivers set their first fast lap of the day, Oscar Piastri put his car in P6 while Norris went off the track, loosing this lap. Going again directly after, Norris needed to put a time on board, with only 5 minutes left on the clock. Putting his McLaren with the Number 4 right behind his teammate in P7.

Last moments of Q1

With 3 minutes left on the clock, Russell and Antonelli put their Mercedes’ on P1 and 2, though Verstappen climbed back on top of the sheets. As the cars at the end of the session started their final fast laps in Q1, Stroll’s and Albon’s deleted lap times saved Yuki Tsunoda, who had stayed in the pits and was falling down the order.

Eliminated in Q1

Isack Hadjar, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Gabriel Bortoleto

Q2

Ollie Bearman was the first to head back out on track, while Norris complained about his steering wheel. With 12 minutes left on the clock for the 2 session of the F1 Qualifying of the US GP, every car gone back out on track. Antonelli set his fast lap with a 1:33.044 improving half a second compared to his lap in Q1. While Russell lost grip and didn’t match his teammate’s time.

Gasly got his time deleted due to track limits, as Piastri set a lap being almost half a second behind Norris. Meanwhile, both the Ferrari’s showed the pace they have this weekend, putting their cars on P2 and P4. Colapinto’s time got deleted, making him the second Alpine with no fast time set for Q2.

5 minute mark

With 5 minutes left on the clock, Russell was the sole car out on track needing to put in a fast lap as he sat in P12. Russell climbed up to P6 with a 1:33.058 putting him out of the Elimination Zone for now. As Tsunoda tried to put his Red Bull out of the Elimination Zone but didn’t manage to beat Bearman’s time in P10. Hülkenberg followed Tsunoda but failed to beat the Haas of Bearman, leaving both of them out of Q3.

Knocked out in Q2:

Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, Nico Hülkenberg

Q3

Track limits seemed to be a general problem for the drivers during the F1 US GP Qualifying. With the first cars started to head out for Q3, which will determine the starting grid for tomorrow’s race in Austin. As championship leader Piastri started his fast lap on used tyres, Russell followed on new tyres, setting a faster lap. Russell put his Mercedes on provisional pole with a 1:32.904 followed by his teammate. With Verstappen (1:32.510) and Norris (1:32.904) beating the Mercedes putting the Dutchman on provisional pole with 6 minutes left of Qualifying.

Verstappen takes pole during F1 US GP Qualifying

While the Ferrari’s showed pace throughout the whole Qualifying, they seemed to lose some of it during Q3 as they put their red cars in P9 and P10 with 5 minutes left. With Verstappen being the last on track the Red Bull left the pits too late as he did not reach the finish line in time to set a fast lap. While the Dutch held provisional pole, both McLaren’s still needed to put in their lap. Norris put his McLaren up to P2 followed by Leclerc in P3, while championship leader Piastri only finished in P6.