Austin, Texas – Max Verstappen led the pack ahead of Charles Leclerc as they headed into the pole position shootout during the Formula One qualifying session at the Circuit of The Americas. With only 15 drivers left in Q2, Verstappen and Sergio Perez pushed their Red Bulls to the top spots on the time sheets, with the Dutch driver setting a blistering lap time of 1m 42.042s. Behind them, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Conrad Bearman rounded out the provisional top six.
Ferrari took a different strategy with their run plans, allowing Leclerc to secure the second-fastest time and Carlos Sainz to claim fourth, all while running in clear air. Meanwhile, Perez opted to stay in the garage, watching on as the rest of the field made their final runs to secure a spot in the pole position shootout.
As the final minutes of Q2 ticked away, there were no further improvements at the sharp end of the grid. Verstappen held onto the top spot, followed by Leclerc and Perez. Russell, Fernando Alonso, and Franco Colapinto, in only his second weekend in Formula One, also secured spots in the pole position shootout.
Ultimately, Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo, and Lance Stroll were among those knocked out in Q2, failing to make it through to the final shootout for pole position. The stage was set for a thrilling battle in the final session, with Verstappen, Leclerc, and Perez poised to fight for the coveted pole position for the United States Grand Prix.