Max Verstappen will start the 2024 United States Grand Prix Sprint race on pole ahead of George Russell after a mighty performance in Texas.
There was shocks throughout with Oscar Piastri and Sergio Pérez getting knocked out early on as well as an impressive showing from Nico Húlkenberg and MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.
In this piece, we’ll take a look at what we learned from Sprint Qualifying.
Max Verstappen Back on Top
It may only be Sprint Qualifying but Verstappen has come out of the blocks flying this weekend in Texas – in similar fashion to what Lando Norris did in Zandvoort. Many would’ve had Norris as their favourite for the Drivers Championship after a dominant Singapore victory but this session has certainly shown that Verstappen can pull out a good performance when it matters.
It will be very interesting to see what Verstappen can do in the Sprint race on Saturday and if Oracle Red Bull Racing can continue to be competitive in race trim.
George Russell Performs
Russell was arguably the surprise of the session. He’s fully capable of getting race wins and potentially even Championships in the future but he hasn’t been given the car that can do that at points this season or even throughout his entire time at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.
The Mercedes isn’t the best car this weekend, and Russell has arguably put it in a better position than it probably deserved based on the performance they’ve shown so far. Lewis Hamilton really struggled with the car in SQ3, so this is a result that Russell can be extremely proud of, especially if he can build on it in the race.
Photo: Jiri Krenek
Sergio Pérez Struggles
Pérez has struggled throughout the 2024 season, and with Tsunoda and Lawson seemingly at battle for the second Red Bull seat with the Mexican for 2025, this wasn’t the start he would’ve wanted to not only the weekend but the final stretch to Abu Dhabi.
Pérez will be hoping that the intensity of a Sprint weekend will help him bounce back and get into a rhythm as soon as he can. Points will be a possibility in the Sprint and with Piastri back in sixteenth, there may be a chance to outscore McLaren F1 Team.
Liam Lawson’s Return
Liam Lawson has shown he has pace this weekend, but an inconsistent SQ2 and a deleted lap time means that he’ll start all the way down in fifteenth. Lawson’s pace in SQ1 was very promising though, and it’ll stand him in good stead for not only the Sprint race on Saturday but also the qualifying later in the day.
It’s way too early to judge the 22-year-old but with a potential Red Bull seat on the line, he’ll need to show what he can do this weekend.