This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.
Qualifying for the 2024 United States Grand Prix is coming up next
Red Bull and Max Verstappen appear to be back to their best at the Circuit of the Americas. Verstappen won the sprint race earlier today from pole position, and is now looking to claim the top spot on the grand prix grid for the first time since the Austrian Grand Prix in June.
Mercedes may prove Verstappen’s greatest threat for pole position. George Russell was only 0.012 seconds off the Red Bull in the first qualifying session yesterday and the team believe Lewis Hamilton was on course to claim pole position until he had to back off for yellow flags at turn 12, causing by Franco Colapinto.
McLaren were in the hunt too during Friday’s qualifying session. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown reckoned Lando Norris had the pace for a place on the front row, until he lost time in the final sector. Oscar Piastri was eliminated in the first round after losing his final lap time due to a track limits infringement.
Norris indicated McLaren may be able to unlock more pace from their car between the sprint race and qualifying. The team brought several new parts this weekend but haven’t been able to get their car fully dialled in having only had a single practice session.
Q1 has begun. Several drivers were already queued up at the pit lane exit waiting to head out. Alexander Albon leads the field out.
The Alpine and Sauber drivers put up the first times – they’re likely to be fighting to get out of Q1. Fernando Alonso does a 1’34.496 to go top but only two-tenths of a second up on Valtteri Bottas.
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The first times from the front runners now: Lando Norris does a 1’34.029 to go top, Carlos Sainz Jnr is 0.075s slower in second, Oscar Piastri slots in third.
The McLaren and Ferrari drivers running used soft tyres for their first runs. So is Max Verstappen who is on course to top the times with this run.
A very strong opening two sectors from Verstappen, a 1’33.690 puts him on top by three-tenths of a second. Sergio Perez matches Norris’ time to within three-thousandths of a second so he is second for now. Bad news for Charles Leclerc – his lap time was deleted for a track limits infringement and he now has no time.
A fine effort from Nico Hulkenberg puts him into second. The Haas drivers are revelling in their upgraded car – the points they took in the sprint race put them…
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