Verstappen went around after hitting the kerbs in the second segment of the weekend’s shorter qualifying session, where the drivers were obliged to run mediums in Q1 and Q2 and then softs in Q3, but still progressed as the fastest at that stage having also edged Leclerc to top Q1.
In that session, the majority of drivers only having one new set of softs meant they sat in the garages for a long time until Verstappen headed out and blitzed his way to a 1m34.538s.
Although track limits were again a big talking point – with the FIA having widened the white line limits exiting Turns 9, 12 and 19 to help the drivers following discussions with the teams – Verstappen had no repeat of the error that cost him pole for the GP on Friday evening.
Leclerc was again his main rival – setting the quickest time in the middle sector on his sole Q3 run and so closing in on the 0.1s gap he had to Verstappen after sector one before then falling back again in the Austin lap’s final third to wind up just 0.055 adrift.
Hamilton slotted into third with an effort set after most of the other frontrunners – ending up fractionally behind Leclerc and 0.069s adrift of Verstappen.
Lando Norris led his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in fourth and fifth, with Carlos Sainz sixth in the other Ferrari.
Source: Autosport