Image: JIM WATSON (APA/AFP/JIM WATSON)
The Dutchman was just 55 thousandths of a second behind Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in the shootout qualifying in Austin. Lewis Hamilton followed in third place in the Mercedes on Saturday; the Brit was only 0.069 seconds slower than Verstappen. The sprint starts at 0 a.m. CEST. “The last lap wasn’t great, but we’re still on pole position, so the car is working well,” said Verstappen. “Today should be great, so many teams are very close. Normally we do quite well in the race, but this track is quite demanding. Tire management is very important here. It will be tough.”
More on the topic: Pole position in Austin for Leclerc, Verstappen only 6th.
Pole for Leclerc in the Grand Prix on Sunday
At the Grand Prix on Sunday (9 p.m./both live on ServusTV and Sky), Monegasque Leclerc will start the race from first place on the grid. After a mistake in qualifying, Verstappen was only left with sixth place on the grid. His best time was canceled after he briefly went off the track.
However, the 26-year-old has been confirmed as this year’s world champion for two weeks. His teammate Sergio Perez is still fighting for second place in the World Championship, the Mexican will start from seventh place in the sprint and ninth place in the race. Perez is currently 30 points ahead of seven-time champion Hamilton.
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