AUSTIN: Max Verstappen swept to a convincing pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the United States Grand Prix in a fast and frantic qualifying session on Friday.
It was the first time in 12 events since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May that the three-time world champion had secured any kind of pole position.
Verstappen clocked a best lap in one minute and 32.833 seconds to beat Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.012 seconds with Charles Leclerc taking third place on the grid for Ferrari.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who trails Verstappen by 52 points in the championship with six Grands Prix including three sprints remaining, was fourth ahead of Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas.
“That was good,” said Verstappen. “We had a good day. Sprint qualifying is always difficult. You never know how much you can push, but the car was working well.
“Of course I’m very happy to be first, it’s been a while.”
The Dutchman added: “It’s always very hectic and you know this track is amazing to drive.”
Norris was left frustrated after struggling for set-up balance with his car.
“That was not very good. We are struggling. And my lap was shocking,” said the Briton.
“I hope I can go forward in the sprint, or at least that’s the plan, but honestly for pace we are where we deserve to be.”
Russell said: “I’m happy and it’s been a while since we were on the front tow and my last run was strong. It’s good to be back in the mix. The car is feeling great and it’s close.”
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh for Mercedes ahead of Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas, Yuki Tsunoda of RB and Williams’ Franco Colapinto.
Both Sergio Perez of Red Bull and Oscar Piastri of McLaren failed to progress to the top ten shootout.
On a warm, dry day at the Circuit of the Americas, with a track temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, Verstappen led the queue out of the pit-lane to clock a marker lap quickly beaten by Magnussen, Leclerc and then Hamilton in 1:33.840.
In a frantic and brisk opening session, lasting only 15 minutes, Leclerc took the initiative in 1:33.647 before the flag to confirm an early surprise exit for McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Esteban Ocon of Alpine, Willliams’ Alex Albon, who survived a big spin at the final corner in his 100th Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu of Sauber.
A late improved lap by Piastri was deleted because he exceeded track limits at Turn 19.
As in the opening period, the second session began with everyone on medium tires and Hamilton setting the pace in 1:33.370 before Sainz outpaced him by 0.096.
Red Bull delayed their runs, but Verstappen swept to second in 1:33.290 on his opening lap with Perez struggling into 10th.
“I’m struggling a lot with the ride,” reported Verstappen on team radio, on a day when Red Bull’s ride-height device had caused controversy.
At the flag, Tsunoda had improved to bump Perez down to 11th and out again along with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and two-time champion Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson of RB, the New Zealand driver having taken over from Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of the season.
All this meant Colapinto was in the top-ten shootout with Tsunoda and Hulkenberg.
The two Mercedes men led the way out for third session with Colapinto in tow, Russell topping the early laps in 1:32.845 to beat Hamilton by 0.533.
Verstappen, who had delayed his lap, swept to pole with a strong lap in 1:32.833 to beat Russell by 0.012, leaving Leclerc third and Norris fourth.

RIYADH: Al-Hilal defeated Al-Fayha 3-0 on Friday in Riyadh to make it seven wins out of seven in the Saudi Pro League this season, while Al-Ahli also won by the same scoreline.

An early goal from Marcos Leonardo put the champions ahead and in control, but it was Salem Al-Dawsari who sealed the points with a second-half header to help banish memories of his missed penalty for Saudi Arabia only three days earlier. Mohammed Al-Qahtani added a third late in the game to complete a satisfactory evening for Al-Hilal.

After three defeats at the start of the season, Al-Fahya had been finding some form in the league so were disappointed to fall behind after just five minutes. 

Renan Lodi got to the left byline inside the area and his pullback toward the edge of the six-yard box spot was perfect, and all Leonardo had to do was guide the ball home for his first league goal since arriving from Benfica. It was a simple finish but came at the end of a fluid Hilal move with the team moving the ball from one side of the pitch to the other and Al-Dawsari slipping the final pass through to Lodi.

The hosts were then in control for much of the first period but they simply could not convert one of their numerous chance to find the all-important second goal.

Leonardo headed against the post on the half hour and soon after the home crowd gasped with shock in the 39th minute as Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has been on fire this season with nine goals in six league games, headed straight at the goalkeeper from close range after more good work from Lodi. The impressive Joao Cancelo then shot just over from the right side of the box. 

Leonardo should have doubled his tally in the 43rd minute when Cancelo crossed from the right, but the Brazilian headed over from close range. Hilal came even closer in added time as Cancelo won the possession on the right corner of the area and fed Malcom, whose shot just brushed the right top corner of the goal frame.

It was not all one-way traffic as the visitors should have been on level terms soon after the restart. Fashion Sakala’s perfect low pass from the right made it all the way over to  Renzo Lopez on the opposite side of the area and his shot just rolled past Hilal’s left post with goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Rubaie, in for the injured Yassine Bounou, beaten. Lopez came almost as close seconds later, firing just wide of the same post after a defensive mix-up.

Just as it looked as if the visitors could get something, Al-Dawsari stepped up to calm the nerves. Once again there was good work on the right from Cancelo and his cross was coolly headed home by the captain. It was his last contribution before being subbed off and the smiles all round were in contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of the national team.

It did not take his replacement long to make an impact as Al-Qahtani finished off a devastating counter-attack. Malcom made the final pass from left to right for the youngster to fire a low shot into the bottom corner. 

There was no coming back from that as Al-Hilal picked up another emphatic win and sent another message to the rest of the Saudi Pro League.

Elsewhere, Al-Ahli won by the same scoreline at Al-Khaleej, a welcome victory for a team that had lost three of the previous five. Just two minutes after Khaled Al-Samiri was sent off for the hosts early in the second half, Firas Al-Buraikan broke the deadlock. Ivan Toney and Merih Demiral added two more for the Greens.

It was a necessary win for the Jeddah giants and, coupled with the victory in the AFC Champions League, should relieve some of the pressure that had been on coach Matthias Jaissle. The victory lifts Al-Ahli into fifth but they are still 11 points behind the unstoppable Al-Hilal.