F1 News: Max Verstappen Reveals Mistake Which Cost Him Pole at US Grand Prix

Alex Harrington | Oct 19, 2024

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (left) talks with Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris (right) of Team Great Britain after the Sprint Race in the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The 2024 United States Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen struggle to reach his usual levels of performance. During the qualifying session at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, Verstappen found himself just shy of pole position, starting P2 tomorrow. Reflecting on the session, he openly discussed the mistake made at Turn 19, which cost him the precious time needed to secure the front spot on the grid.

"On the first lap I lost quite a bit of time at Turn 19. That's unfortunate," Verstappen admitted. Despite a second attempt, circumstances conspired against him, and he was unable to complete the lap that might have changed his results due to George Russell crashing and launching yellow flags.

"I knew we had another run but unfortunately I couldn't finish the lap, otherwise we had a good shot but that's how it goes," he added.

Verstappen's position is nonetheless favorable as he starts from the front row alongside his Papaya friend.

"We are still on the front row at least but the potential was there to be first, so that's very good."

The 2024 season has seen Verstappen continue to dominate, building on his consistent performances from the previous year. Having wrapped up the 2023 season with an impressive tally of 19 wins and 21 podiums, Max Verstappen's performance with Red Bull Racing remains undisputed. As the team fine-tuned its approach this weekend, Verstappen's reflections on qualifying suggest a positive trajectory.

"It seemed like we were competitive. We made some minor changes on the car, which felt nice, so I hope that's positive for tomorrow."

The Grand Prix weekend in Austin also featured a Sprint race, which provided additional insights into car setup. Although Verstappen placed second in qualifying, the Sprint indicated competitive form with the driver finishing first earlier today after 19 laps.

In Q1, a brisk 1:34.029 set by Lando Norris was temporarily bested by Verstappen's 1:33.690, before Charles Leclerc ultimately surpassed both with a time of 1:33.241. Lewis Hamilton faced difficulties, ending his qualifying early due to a lockup in the middle sector. The eventual list of drivers exiting in Q1 included Alex Albon, Franco Colapinto, Valtteri Bottas, and Zhou Guanyu.

Q2 saw Verstappen initially taking the lead on used soft tires before Norris reclaimed the top with a lap 0.2 seconds quicker. Leclerc escaped elimination, setting the third fastest time. As Q2 concluded, drivers Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Liam Lawson were eliminated.

In the decisive Q3 session, McLaren's Norris impressively held onto the lead, supported by team directives to "trust the car." George Russell briefly led until Norris reclaimed pole, with Carlos Sainz and Leclerc trailing close behind. A crash involving Russell brought out a caution, truncating final laps, and solidifying Norris' pole position.