The Latest Breaking News from Valtteri Bottas

Verstappen ended up third after the Ferrari pair had nipped ahead on the first Q3 runs and could not beat them even though neither Leclerc nor Sainz improved on their second efforts.

Leclerc will start ahead of his team-mate Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.

In claiming F1 win number 50 at the 2023 United States Grand Prix, Verstappen does so as the driver to hit that figure the second quickest in 181 races compared to Hamilton’s 50 in 185. Michael Schumacher holds the record in taking 50 wins from just 153 races.

McLaren’s Lando Norris grabbed the lead from Ferrari’s poleman Charles Leclerc on the dash to the first corner, and pulled clear out front as Verstappen worked his way forward from sixth on the grid.

McLaren’s Lando Norris grabbed the lead from Ferrari’s poleman Charles Leclerc on the dash to the first corner, and pulled clear out front as Verstappen worked his way forward from sixth on the grid.

Seventy-six laps were deleted in FP1 in Austin as drivers strayed beyond the painted while lines defining the edge of the track with all four wheels.

Verstappen just held onto his pole advantage at the start, seeing off the challenge of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who will start from pole position for Sunday’s US GP.

Verstappen just held onto his pole advantage at the start, seeing off the challenge of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who will start from pole position for Sunday’s US GP.

Verstappen went around after hitting the kerbs in the second segment of the weekend’s shorter qualifying session, where the drivers were obliged to run mediums in Q1 and Q2 and then softs in Q3, but still progressed as the fastest at that stage having also edged Leclerc to top Q1.