In Austin, the battle for pole position looked for a long time as though it would be between Max Verstappen and Ferrari. By the end of qualifying, however, the Scuderia had failed to get either car into the top three, while Kimi Antonelli emerged as a surprise contender. Verstappen settled for second place and said he could live with the starting position, though he believes more potential remains to be unlocked.
That was especially evident from the Q2 lap with which Verstappen impressed his rivals. On a set of scrubbed tyres, the Dutchman was faster than some drivers from the other top teams on fresh rubber. In Q3, however, he said he lacked grip: "I just didn't have the same grip anymore. It's as simple as that." Wind gusts also caught many drivers out in the closing minutes, though Verstappen noted they could not explain the whole story. Ferrari's pace also dropped away in Q3, with Charles Leclerc pointing to increased cloud cover and falling track temperature.
The session was nevertheless revealing about Red Bull's recent progress, particularly since the Baku upgrade. On a day when neither driver was happy with the car, the team still secured second and third on the grid. That is a considerable contrast with the first half of the season, when Red Bull often slipped to seventh and eighth on difficult days. Verstappen acknowledged the resurgence: "The car has been a lot better over the last few weekends, that's clear."
His race pace in Austin looked respectable on Friday, giving him confidence heading into Sunday. The start remains a major question mark, although second place on the inside of the grid offers opportunities if Verstappen gets away well.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing