Summary

  • Lando Norris takes pole ahead of Max Verstappen for US Grand Prix

  • Sainz third, Leclerc fourth, Piastri fifth, Russell sixth

  • Out in Q2: Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Stroll, Lawson

  • Out in Q1: Albon, Colapinto, Bottas, Hamilton, Zhou

  • Verstappen won sprint race earlier with Norris third

  • Verstappen extended championship lead over Norris to 54 points

Live Reporting

Alicia Turner and Lorraine McKenna

  1. The three-time world champion Max Verstappen is on a set of new soft tyres, they sure are glimmering.

    The clock is ticking and the last ten drivers remaining are doing their first lap.

  2. 'Verstappen just looks really under control'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Verstappen looks more comfortable.

    I think that's the thing, even if you forget the actual lap time and it is a decent lap time, that Norris wasn't able to match, Verstappen just looks really under control and I think that's been the biggest shift.

    It's Verstappen and Red Bull that seem like they have the upper hand over McLaren at this point.

  3. Go! Go! Go!

    It's looking like Max Verstappen might take pole here, the Red Bull man is looking very comfortable around the Circuit of the Americas.

    Q3 goes green!

  4. 'This is a great track' - Gordon Ramsay

    Chef Gordon Ramsay talking to Radio 5 Sports Extra: "This whole pressure is incredible and also it's just so nice to see at the end of this year, a three-horse race, the constructors' is wide open and now with Ferrari coming back... Max was lonely out there at the beginning of the season on his own and so everyone has caught up so now it's real race time. This is a great track."

    Gordon Ramsey talking to McLaren personnel at the US Grand PrixGetty Images

  5. Harry Benjamin
    BBC F1 Commentator

    The track evolving all the time and that will probably be because of that resurfacing that was done coming into this weekend...

  6. Jennie Gow
    F1 pit-lane reporter in Austin

    Hamilton seems very down.

    Obviously, it will take him forever to come out and actually speak to us, because he won't be happy. Mercedes weren't expecting that.

    This is not playing out like a lot of drivers and teams were expecting it to.

  7. That's Q2 done and it's Max Verstappen who stays at the top. Let's see if he can do the same again in Q3.

    Carlos Sainz jumped his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc to take second and Lando Norris went third-fastest.

    Leclerc went down to fourth and Sergio Perez rounds out the top five.

  8. Out of Q2

    11. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

    12. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

    13. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

    14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

    15. Liam Lawson (RB)

  9. Let's see what Charles Leclerc can do to get out of that bottom five.

    Ah, lovely stuff, it's third-fastest for the Ferrari man.

    Max Verstappen is the man to beat as he sets a time of 1:32.584 with less than two minutes to go.

  10. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I think what we've seen so far at least this weekend is almost the Max Verstappen and the Red Bull car of old in that it's able to deliver a really rapid lap time but without overstepping the mark, without having to be right on that ragged edge. If we look at the Mercedes in qualifying for the sprint yesterday, it delivered a very similar lap time but it really took so much out of that car that it was hanging on for dear life around some of the corners.

  11. Five minutes to go

    Both the Haas cars of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are still in the top 10 as the majority of cars are now coming out of the pit-lane to bank another lap.

  12. Drop zone

    11. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

    12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

    13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

    14. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

    15. Liam Lawson (RB)

  13. Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent in Austin

    I'm quite confused by McLaren's pace this weekend.

    They've been so fast for so long, since they put that upgrade on in Miami.

    They dominated in Singapore, front-row lockout in Monza, dominated in Zandvoort, dominated in Hungary.

    This is a track with a nice mix of corners, you would think that they would be fast here.

    OK, they haven't really got the upgrade that Red Bull have and Ferrari have got their upgrade from Monza, and Mercedes have an upgrade, but that doesn't really explain this performance offset to me.

  14. Lando Norris in the McLaren has jumped his title rival Max Verstappen by two-tenths of a second on new tyres. Can he improve as this session goes on? Bear in mind that Verstappen set his time on used tyres.

  15. Max Verstappen sets a time of 1:33.052, while Pierre Gasly once again sits three-tenths behind in second.

    Esteban Ocon in the Alpine is the fastest of anyone in the middle sector.

    This could get tasty...

  16. Max Verstappen leads the pack with his team-mate Sergio Perez following, both the drivers are on used soft tyres.

    The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are also on used tyres.

  17. 'Surprised the Mercedes isn't quicker'

    McLaren chief executive officer Zak Brown on Sky Sports: "We went a little bit early but looking at the times, I think it will be Max vs Ferrari here for pole. I'm surprised the Mercedes isn't a little bit quicker."

  18. 'A difficult weekend for Mercedes'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Mercedes are on the back foot and then fighting all the way through because of the sprint format, bringing so many new parts to to the race track, where they don't get the time to really play around and understand them fully.

    They're having to do that process, and understand the parts, in the competitive session.

    A difficult weekend for Mercedes.

  19. Go! Go! Go!

    It's time for Q2, is it going to be full of surprises?

  20. Wow, what a strange Q1. The fans were certainly surprised as there was a hush around the circuit after Lewis Hamilton didn't make it through.

    Further up the field, Liam Lawson finished third in the RB, an impressive display in his first race weekend of the season.

    But the youngster will be starting tomorrow's grand prix from the back of the grid after taking an engine penalty.

    It was Max Verstappen who topped the timesheet.

    Roll on Q2!