Seeing the sinking of Aston Martin since the summer is almost a spectacle. At a time when disaster cinema is in a certain doldrums, what seemed to be the alternative to Red Bull at the beginning of the year has been diluting like ice in the sun of Austin (Texas). The worst classification of the year, by far, confirms not only that the evolutions that were going to give them a leap forward are textbook ‘worse’, but also that not even this time the one who always delivers could be there.
It was a complex classification for Fernando Alonso, since in the previous free practice he had a serious scare with the brakes. In both his and Lance Stroll’s cars, flames were seen coming out of the left front wheel hubs, but they were finally able to complete the session. It was not easy, nor did it go well: for the first time this year, Alonso did not even cross Q1, which ended his full ‘top 10’ finish on the grid. He will start in a very poor 17th position.
Sixteen places ahead, on pole, will be Charles Leclerc who was brilliant and will start ahead of Norris and Hamilton, with Sainz 4th and Verstappen 6th. The world champion was stripped of what was going to be his 11th pole of the season due to track limits.
Q1: Aston Martin debacle
The progressive improvement in track conditions meant that it was not until the end that the optimal laps of all the drivers were seen. Nobody wanted to risk it, so many started from the beginning with competitive tires (new soft ones) to try to set a decent time and cover themselves against a possible scare at the end.
Verstappen, for example, did not set his best time until there was just under a minute left, and even then it was not the best of the session, since that was for Hamilton by only 19 thousandths over Norris. Fernando Alonso also took a gamble in a last lap that he was able to complete because he crossed the finish line with only 1 second left… and it was not enough.
In a weekend in which Aston Martin tried to save the furniture, they signed the worst classification of the year, with both of their drivers eliminated in this Q1. Fernando Alonso, who until now was the only driver who had reached Q3 in all the races, was 55 thousandths away from the minimum requirement and will start 17th, two positions ahead of his teammate Lance Stroll. Aston Martin is a ship that leaks everywhere and this end of the year is taking forever.
Alonso and Stroll accompanied Hulkenberg (who had his lap removed due to track limits), Albon and local Sargeant, who gave his audience a glorious last time, as eliminated in this Q1.
Q2: Verstappen is not the first
The fight to see who would advance to Q3 became more exciting knowing that Fernando Alonso’s position was up in the air. Thus, several drivers had scares, such as Lando Norris whose elimination of a lap made him risk it to the last, or Sergio Pérez who moved to Q3 with a very tight 10th time, while his teammate was only 4 thousandths behind. be first. That honor of this Q2 went to Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz was left out of the ‘top 3’, just in a place card that confirmed him as an alternative to the triumvirate of Leclerc, Verstappen and Hamilton. Few surprises in this cut, beyond the presence of the two Alpines in Q3, since those eliminated were Tsunoda, Zhou, Bottas, Magnussen and a Ricciardo who, on his return to the grid after missing several GPs, was not too brilliant.
Q3: Verstappen is left without pole
The first pole attempt left Charles Leclerc as the fastest. The Monegasque’s pace in this classification, which had already been very fast in Q2, left not only Max Verstappen speechless, who was more than two tenths behind, but also Lewis Hamilton, who was half a tenth away.
The fight for pole was unexpectedly intense, as Verstappen had to go out on his second attempt gritting his teeth. In fact, it was so exciting that he decided on track limits. Max Verstappen had set a time sufficient to beat Charles Leclerc, but his time was taken away due to track limits at turn 19, so it will be the Monegasque who starts first on Sunday, ahead of a Norris who will look (finally) ) his first victory and a Lewis Hamilton who is the driver who has won the most times here. Verstappen will not even start in the second row, but in the third, since he set the 6th time. Carlos Sainz, pole in 2022, will start 4th.
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