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Max Verstappen
will head the field for the start of tomorrow’s Sprint Race. The three-time
world champion is thus back on top in a qualifying session for the first
time since the Belgian Grand Prix, when the fastest time did not secure him
pole position for the race as he had to take a previously imposed penalty.
The last time the Dutchman did actually start from the top slot on the grid
dates back to the Austrian Grand Prix, when he secured pole on Friday in
Sprint Qualifying and again on Saturday in qualifying for the main event.
There will be four different teams represented on the front two rows of the
grid, covered by just two and a half tenths, further confirmation of how
closely contested is this season. The Red Bull driver secured his eighth
Sprint qualifying pole in a time of 1’32”833, 12 thousandths quicker than
second placed George Russell in the Mercedes (1’32”845). The second row is
made up of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari (1’33”059) and Land Norris in the
McLaren (1’33”083).
THE DAY ON
TRACK
The only free practice session of the weekend saw almost all drivers use the
hardest compound available for this Grand Prix, the C2. The only exceptions
were the two Saubers, with Valtteri Bottas using the Medium and the Soft,
while Guanyu Zhou concentrated on the C4. The other 18 drivers did not use
the C3 at all, starting the session on the Hard before switching to the
Soft. As per the regulations for Sprint Qualifying, the Medium must be used
for Q1 and Q2 with the Soft coming into play for Q3.
Verstappen was presented with the Pirelli Sprint Qualifying Award by
Germany’s Leo Neugebauer, the multi-disciplined athlete, who won the silver
medal at the Paris Olympics in the decathlon. He is also his country’s
record holder in this discipline, as well as being the indoor heptathlon
champion. Handmade in Italy, the trophy consists of a square of FSC™️certified
natural rubber, enclosed between two pieces of glass on which is etched the
layout of the Circuit of the Americas and the FSC™️ logo, a stylised tree.
The same rubber is part of the raw materials used in the manufacture of all
the Pirelli P Zero Formula 1 tyres, complying with the environmental and
social sustainability criteria defined by the forestry management
non-governmental organisation.
SIMONE BERRA – CHIEF ENGINEER
“A Friday which saw lap times clearly quicker than those from last year at
this track and also lower than the simulations going into the event based on
the average of data received by Pirelli from the ten teams. In fact, today’s
pole was also two seconds quicker than last year’s (1’34”723) and a little
over seven tenths faster than the predicted time of 1’33”600.
With the same tyres as last year, several factors contributed to the
significant reduction in lap time, apart from the normal evolution of the
cars: the resurfaced track offered more grip, there was a marked reduction
in the number of bumps, which meant the teams could lower the car’s height
to the ground, while temperatures were also cooler than last year’s.
“As for the difference in performance between the compounds, an initial
analysis would suggest that they are pretty much in line with our
predictions, even if it has to be said that, particularly in Q3, it wasn’t
easy for the drivers to get all the potential out of the softest compound,
partly because of the gusts of wind, which at times got close to 30 km/h.
Tomorrow, we expect that, as was the case in 2023, the Medium will be the
absolute favourite (last year only Sainz used the Soft). On Sunday too, the
C3 will be the most used tyre, which explains why in today’s free practice,
with the exception of the Sauber duo, all drivers used at least one set of
Hards. In a race where the quickest strategy is a two-stop, with the Soft
apparently not a valid option, it’s clear that the Medium will rule the
roost."
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