Hold onto your helmets, racing fans, because the 2025 United States Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying just delivered a nail-biter of a session that left everyone on the edge of their seats! Max Verstappen snatched pole position in a thrilling finale, edging out Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in a battle that came down to mere fractions of a second. But here's where it gets controversial: was Verstappen's late surge a masterclass in precision, or did Norris simply crack under pressure? Let’s dive into the highlights and leave you with a question to ponder: Is Verstappen’s dominance becoming predictable, or is he just that good?
The stage was set in Austin, where Verstappen, the Red Bull ace, delivered a stunning 1m 32.143s lap in the dying moments of SQ3, clinching pole by a razor-thin 0.071s margin over Norris. The McLaren driver had dominated the earlier sessions, topping both SQ1 and SQ2, but it was Verstappen who had the last laugh. Piastri, in the other McLaren, secured third, just over three-tenths off the pace. Nico Hulkenberg impressed by steering his Kick Sauber to fourth, while George Russell slotted his Mercedes into fifth, ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
Carlos Sainz, bouncing back from a limited FP1, claimed seventh for Williams, with teammate Alex Albon in ninth. Lewis Hamilton, sandwiched between them in eighth, had a tricky session, as did Ferrari overall, with Charles Leclerc rounding out the top 10. And this is the part most people miss: Kimi Antonelli, freshly confirmed as a Mercedes driver for 2026, narrowly missed SQ3 by just 0.006s, joining Isack Hadjar (P12) and Pierre Gasly (P13) in the knockout zone.
Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson saw their lap times deleted due to track limits, relegating them to 14th and 15th, respectively. The frantic SQ1 finish saw several drivers, including Ollie Bearman (P16), Yuki Tsunoda (P18), Esteban Ocon (P19), and Gabriel Bortoleto (P20), fail to complete their final runs. Bortoleto, in particular, had a rough day, with his first lap also deleted for track limits, leaving him without a recorded time.
In SQ1, Norris set the early pace, but it was Verstappen who initially went fastest with a 1m 34.140s lap. Hamilton sat second, while Leclerc teetered on the edge of elimination in 16th. As the session closed, Tsunoda and Ocon couldn’t cross the line in time, knocking them out. Leclerc scraped through to SQ2 in 13th, while Gasly just avoided an early exit in 15th. Norris ended SQ1 fastest with a 1m 33.224s lap, 0.139s quicker than Verstappen.
SQ2 saw Norris reclaim the top spot with a 1m 33.033s lap, but the real drama came in the closing minutes. Hulkenberg surged to fifth, while Leclerc was pushed down to 11th, only to recover to eighth. Hamilton, under pressure, snatched 10th, knocking Antonelli out by a mere 0.006s. Lawson’s time was deleted for track limits, adding to his woes.
In the decisive SQ3, Russell set the early benchmark with a 1m 32.888s lap, but it was Hulkenberg who briefly led before Norris took over with a 1m 32.214s. Verstappen, however, had the final say, clinching pole with his 1m 32.143s lap. Hulkenberg’s fourth place was his best grid position since his British Grand Prix podium in July.
Verstappen reflected, ‘It’s been a nice Qualifying. Throughout all segments, we were quite close. It was about putting it all together at the end, which isn’t easy with the soft compound and no reference. It worked out well. I expect a tough battle tomorrow, but that’s what we want to see. I’m excited for the Sprint and happy with today.’
With the grid set, the Sprint kicks off at 1200 local time on Saturday. Don’t miss the action—head to the RACE HUB for all the details. Now, here’s a thought to spark debate: Is Verstappen’s late-session brilliance a testament to his skill, or is the field simply too reliant on early pace? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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