Norris grabs pole as Russell’s crash denies final laps

Lando Norris scored pole position for Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix as a George Russell crash prevented Max Verstappen and co from completing their final Q3 fliers.

The session was already a shocker for Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton having been eliminated in Q1.

Norris will head the grid at Austin in a stunning turnaround from the sprint race, where Verstappen and the Ferrari drivers seemed to have a clear edge.

After the first runs in Q3, Norris lead Verstappen by 0.031s – staying ahead despite a massive snap through the penultimate corner largely thanks to a strong middle sector.

On the second attempt on new softs late in the final segment, Verstappen ran ahead of his title rival having just avoided a pitlane collision with Pierre Gasly exiting his Alpine garage, with the French squad later picking up a fine for an unsafe release.

But Verstappen’s attempt to topple Norris was thwarted when Russell crashed at the penultimate corner – the Mercedes heading the pack for the final tours.

Russell lost the rear of his W15 through the rapid, plunging left-hander and spun off through the gravel trap on the outside to hit the barriers hard, with the resulting double yellow flags meaning no drivers were able to complete their laps.

Verstappen and Norris had finished the first sector of their final fliers and the world champion had edged a near 0.2s advantage – albeit without getting to the sector where the McLaren had been faster on the first Q3 runs.

The order behind was preserved with Carlos Sainz third for Ferrari, ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren and Russell.

Gasly, who faces a post-qualifying investigation for the pitlane incident with Verstappen, took seventh ahead of Fernando Alonso and Kevin Magnussen, while Sergio Perez was 10th after losing his first time for running too wide out of Turn 9.

In Q2, Yuki Tsunoda could not progress even with the penalty-addled Liam Lawson giving him a tow down the main straight on both his runs.

Lawson, who was third fastest in Q1, was never going to compete in the middle segment given his grid penalty for another change on the car Daniel Ricciardo had previously been racing.

The other fallers were Nico Hulkenberg in 12th after a Turn 1 lock-up and exit oversteer snap, plus Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll, who could not match Alonso’s jump from…