Carlos Sainz Claims Pole For 2022 US Grand Prix – Sport Grill

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz snatched pole position for 2022 US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, following a dramatic Qualifying session.

Max Verstappen topped FP3 but a tense scap in Qualifying saw Sainz prevail ahead of Charles Leclerc and Verstappen, although a penalty for Leclerc drops the Monegasque down the order and elevated Verstappen to second on the grid.

Proceedings however were dampened by news during the gap between FP3 and Qualifying that Red Bull co-founder, Dietrich Mateschitz had passed away aged 78.

Now, here is a full roundup of FP3 and Qualifying in Austin, Texas.

FP3

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Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas were first on track with Bottas setting the initial benchmark time of 1m 39.042 on soft tyres, which was initially bettered by Sainz on medium tyres until Sergio Perez then Charles Leclerc went quickest on softs.

Haas’ Mick Schumacher meanwhile encountered a mechanical issue in the eighth minute out of the final corner, which limited his running for much of this session as he eventually finished 19th fastest overall after getting back onto the circuit in the closing minutes.

Up front, Leclerc and Verstappen traded fastest laps with the latter soon sat top with 1m 36.706, with Sainz briefly splitting the pair as he continued his medium tyre data gathering programme – due to FP2 having been a Pirelli tyre test  which prevented meaningful running.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton went fastest in the 26th minute with 1m 36.688 but Perez two minutes later went 0.110 seconds quicker than the seven-time champion, as the pair headed the timesheet at the halfway mark of the session.

Attention soon switched to Qualifying simulations in the final 20 minutes and Verstappen initially found himself quickest from Leclerc and Sainz, as the trio were split by 0.048s once they completed their opening Qualifying simulation laps.

Leclerc in the penultimate minute however posted 1m 36.145 to displace Verstappen at the summit, only for the Dutchman to hit back with 1m 35.825 to top the session from Leclerc, Sainz, Perez and Hamilton.

During the session, it was confirmed that Leclerc would take a 10 place grid penalty after changing his power unit and turbo, whilst Perez, Fernando Alonso and Zhou would take five-place grid drops due to a change of their power unit.

Qualifying

Q1

Williams’ Alex Albon was first out on track but Schumacher set the initial benchmark time amongst early runners of 1m 37.816 but his effort was soon bettered by Verstappen with 1m 35.864, although Leclerc soon displaced the now reigning two-time champion by 0.069s.

Sainz however went fastest with 1m 35.297 whilst the bottom five once everyone set a flying lap compromised of; Nicholas Latifi, Yuki Tsunoda, Albon, Ricciardo and Magnussen but Zhou’s fastest lap was deleted for exceeding track limits to demote the Chinese driver to rock-bottom.

At the checkered flag, Tsunoda and Albon survived elimination as Magnussen qualified 16th ahead of Ricciardo, whilst Esteban Ocon suffered his worst US Qualifying result since 2016, as the Frenchman qualified 18th ahead of Schumacher and Latifi.

Q2

Following a quiet opening minute, Albon was first to venture out onto the circuit and set benchmark time of 1m 37.124 but his time was soon displaced by Bottas, Russell then Verstappen as the frontrunners eventually demotted the Finnish driver down to eighth.

Leclerc eventually finished Q2 as the fastest driver with 1m 35.246 ahead of Verstappen and Sainz.

The elimination zone meanwhile contained; Albon, Tsunoda, Stroll, Gasly and Vettel, although the latter pair hadn’t posted a lap time because Gasly made a mistake whilst Vettel’s lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits.

As the checkered flag fell, only Stroll made Q3 as Albon, Vettel, Gasly and Tsunoda all qualified 12, 13, 14 and 15th respectively behind McLaren’s Lando Norris who was initially eliminated in 11th position, until Zhou had a lap time deleted which dropped him to 14th on grid and out of Qualifying.

Albon therefore benefitted to secure a 11th place finish in Qualifying ahead of Vettel, Gasly, Zhou and Tsunoda in the classified Q2 order, which will become a top-ten start once penalties are applied for Leclerc, Perez and Alonso.

Zhou meanwhile will start the race from 19th position due to a five-place grid penalty for changing his power unit.

Q3

Bottas was first out on track for the opening Q3 runs and set an early benchmark time of 1m 36.747 which was quickly bettered by several drivers, as Leclerc went fastest with 1m 34.624 ahead of; Sainz, Hamilton, Verstappen, Perez, Russell, Alonso and Norris as Bottas slipped to ninth.

Stroll meanwhile held back as he instead opted to set his only Q3 flying lap in the gap as everyone else sat in the pits, which proved wise as the Canadian put his Aston Martin up to seventh in the order ahead of final runs.

Verstappen meanwhile headed back out with just over four minutes left in order to create space with two warm-up laps, as others held back ahead of their final runs, before they ventured out with two minutes left of Qualifying,

Once the checkered flag fell, Sainz snatched his third pole position of the season – second earned on track after he inherited pole in Belgium due to penalties for Verstappen – ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen as the top three were split by 0.092s.

Leclerc’s penalty however elevates Verstappen to the front row alongside Sainz whilst Hamilton, Russell, Stroll and Norris will round out the top three following a penalty for fourth-placed Perez.

Alonso qualified ninth but he will start 14th due to a power unit penalty which elevates Bottas up to ninth despite qualifying slowest in Q3.

*Leclerc will take a ten place grid penalty for changing his power unit and turbo.

**Perez, Alonso and Zhou will take a five place grid penalty due to a fifth power unit change of season.