List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been disqualified from Sunday’s United States Grand Prix after breaching the rules governing the floor of their cars in a shock end to the race weekend. Hamilton and Leclerc, who finished second and sixth respectively in the 56-lap race won by Max Verstappen, were being investigated by the stewards following a plank wear inspection in Austin. The original report from FIA technical delegate Joe Bauer stated: “A physical floor and a plank wear inspection was carried out on car numbers 16 [Leclerc] and 44 [Hamilton]. “The skids located in this area are found to be not in compliance with Article 3.5.9 e) of the 2023 Formula One Technical Regulations. I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.” Personnel from both Mercedes and Ferrari were summoned to see the stewards and, just after 7pm local time in Austin and more than three hours after the race finished, their disqualification from the race was confirmed. Hamilton therefore loses the 18 points earned from his second-place finish, while Leclerc loses eight points. Both drivers, however, do have the right to an appeal but it is understood Mercedes will not appeal the FIA’s verdict. In a Mercedes press release, Hamilton stated he was simply “disappointed” with the penalty, while team boss Toto Wolff admitted “we got it wrong.” The FIA note reveals that the cars of Verstappen and Lando Norris (who now moves up to second from third in the final classification) were also inspected, but passed the checks. The section of the rulebook referred to reads: “The thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10mm [plus or minus] 0.2mm and must be uniform when new. “A minimum thickness of 9mm will be accepted due to wear, and conformity to this provision will be checked at the peripheries of the designated holes.” The ruling means Williams driver Logan Sargeant earns his first F1 point in bizarre circumstances at his home race. The final stewards report said: “During the hearing, the team acknowledged that the measurement performed by the FIA Technical Team was correct and stated that the high wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimized the time to set up and check the car before the race. NEW TOP-10 - UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lando Norris 3. Carlos Sainz 4. Sergio Perez 5. George Russell 6. Pierre Gasly 7. Lance Stroll 8. Yuki Tsunoda 9. Alex Albon 10. Logan Sargeant “The Stewards note that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event. “In this particular case, the rear skid in the area defined in the Technical Delegate’s report was outside of the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes a tolerance for wear. “Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the Technical Regulations is imposed.” Breaches of technical checks of the car often result in disqualification, with a recent example being Hamilton from qualifying in Brazil in 2021. Michael Schumacher was disqualified from the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix for an illegal floor, allowing Damon Hill to win the race. Hamilton was already in hot water with the FIA for an unrelated matter, after crossing a live track at the last race in Qatar and was spoken to again in Texas due to his status as a “role model.” Leclerc started Sunday’s race on pole but, opting for a different strategy, fell behind after Norris stole a march on the Ferrari at the start. Hamilton, meanwhile, came close to victory after reeling in Verstappen - who was booed on the podium - at the end. The 38-year-old has not won in nearly two years, with his last victory coming in Saudi Arabia in December 2021, but this disqualification will be a bitter pill for the seven-time world champion to swallow ahead of the next race, this weekend in Mexico. Read More Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes react to shock disqualification from United States GP Logan Sargeant earns first F1 point in bizarre circumstances Lando Norris reflects on 2023 win prospects after another near-miss in Austin Lewis Hamilton rues Mercedes error which cost him victory at US Grand Prix Max Verstappen booed by American fans on podium after victory Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory

Logan Sargeant has earned his first Formula 1 point following the shock disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from the United States Grand Prix. Mercedes driver Hamilton and Ferrari’s Leclerc, who finished second and sixth at the Circuit of the Americas, were being investigated by the stewards following a plank wear inspection in Austin. More than three hours after the race finished, the stewards announced that the pair had been disqualified – and thus everybody else moved up the order. Williams driver Sargeant finished the race 12th but having moved up to 10th receives his first point of the season in bizarre circumstances at his home race. Sargeant thus becomes the first American driver to score a point in F1 in 30 years. The FIA note reveals that the cars of Verstappen and Lando Norris (who now moves up to second from third in the final classification) were also inspected, but passed the checks. The final stewards report said: “During the hearing, the team acknowledged that the measurement performed by the FIA Technical Team was correct and stated that the high wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimized the time to set up and check the car before the race. NEW TOP-10 FOR THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lando Norris 3. Carlos Sainz 4. Sergio Perez 5. George Russell 6. Pierre Gasly 7. Lance Stroll 8. Yuki Tsunoda 9. Alex Albon 10. Logan Sargeant “The Stewards note that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event. “In this particular case, the rear skid in the area defined in the Technical Delegate’s report was outside of the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes a tolerance for wear. “Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the Technical Regulations is imposed.” Read More Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified from United States GP Lando Norris reflects on 2023 win prospects after another near-miss in Austin Lewis Hamilton rues Mercedes error which cost him victory at US Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from second place in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix for driving an illegal car. Nearly four hours after the chequered flag fell on Hamilton’s most competitive race of the season – one he claimed he should have won if Mercedes did not fluff their strategy lines – the stewards declared his car’s machinery did not comply with the regulations. The depth of the new floor on Hamilton’s Mercedes was adjudged to be “outside the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e).” – which states that the plank cannot wear to below 9mm thickness. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth, was disqualified for the same breach following Sunday’s 56-lap race at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. Hamilton’s demise elevated Lando Norris to runner-up behind Max Verstappen, who claimed the 50th win of his career and 15th from 18 this season, and Carlos Sainz to third. Sergio Perez was promoted to fourth to extend his lead over Hamilton in the fight for runner-up in the championship from 27 points to 39 with four races left. Mercedes’ sporting director Ron Meadows, trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin and reliability chief Richard Lane were summoned to fight Hamilton’s corner with the FIA’s four stewards – which included former British driver Derek Warwick – at 6pm local time (midnight BST). After 30 minutes, the trio emerged from the FIA offices in the paddock before Hamilton’s punishment was handed down at 7.16pm local time (1.16am BST). It is understood Mercedes will not appeal the FIA’s verdict. A statement from the FIA read: “During the hearing the team acknowledged that the measurement performed by the FIA Technical Team was correct and stated that the high wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the sprint race schedule (on Saturday) that minimised the time to set up and check the car before the race. “The stewards note that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event.” It continued: “In this particular case, the rear skid in the area defined in the technical delegate’s report was outside of the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes a tolerance for wear. “Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the technical regulations is imposed.” Four cars were chosen at random following the race. Both Verstappen’s Red Bull and Norris’ McLaren passed the scrutineering checks. Michael Schumacher was disqualified from the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix for an illegal floor, allowing Damon Hill to win the race. The post-race penalties on Sunday night saw Williams’ Logan Sargeant claim his maiden point in F1 – the first American to score in the sport since Michael Andretti 30 years ago for McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix. Read More Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory I can do something wiser with my time – George Russell stops using social media Charles Leclerc snatches pole position after Max Verstappen’s lap was deleted Daniel Ricciardo ready for AlphaTauri return at United States Grand Prix On this day in 2009: Jenson Button crowned Formula One world champion in Brazil FIA to review Qatar GP as ‘dangerous’ temperatures prompt driver complaints

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are under investigation following a potential breach of rules governing the floor of their cars – and could be disqualified from Sunday’s United States Grand Prix. Hamilton and Leclerc, who finished second and sixth respectively in the race won by Max Verstappen, are being investigated by the stewards following a plank wear inspection in Austin. The FIA note reveals that the cars of Verstappen and Lando Norris were also inspected, but passed the checks. The report from FIA technical delegate Joe Bauer states: “A physical floor and a plank wear inspection was carried out on car numbers 16 [Leclerc] and 44 [Hamilton]. “The skids located in this area are found to be not in compliance with Article 3.5.9 e) of the 2023 Formula One Technical Regulations. “I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.” Both Mercedes and Ferrari have been summoned to see the stewards. The section of the rulebook referred to reads: “The thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10mm [plus or minus] 0.2mm and must be uniform when new. “A minimum thickness of 9mm will be accepted due to wear, and conformity to this provision will be checked at the peripheries of the designated holes.” Breaches of technical checks of the car often result in disqualification, with a recent example being Hamilton from qualifying in Brazil in 2021. The seven-time world champion was already in hot water after crossing a live track at the last race in Qatar and was spoken to again in Texas due to his status as a “role model.” Leclerc started Sunday’s race on pole but, opting for a different strategy, fell behind after Lando Norris stole a march on the Ferrari at the start. Hamilton, meanwhile, came close to victory after reeling in Verstappen at the end. The 38-year-old has now not won in nearly two years, with his last victory coming in Saudi Arabia in December 2021. A disqualification would mean Hamilton loses 18 points in the championship standings, while Leclerc would lose eight points. Read More Lando Norris reflects on 2023 win prospects after another near-miss in Austin Lewis Hamilton rues Mercedes error which cost him victory at US Grand Prix Max Verstappen booed by American fans on podium after victory Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory F1 United States Grand Prix LIVE: Race reaction and results in Austin Max Verstappen holds off Lewis Hamilton challenge to win US sprint race

Lando Norris believes it is “unlikely” he will secure his first win in Formula 1 this year. The McLaren driver led large periods of Sunday’s United States Grand Prix in Austin but the pace of his car dropped off in the latter stages as he was caught by eventual race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. It is Norris’ 12th podium in F1 – and sixth this year – but a first victory still agonisingly eludes him. Asked whether he could win one of the remaining four races, Norris replied: “Unlikely. Qatar [two weeks ago] was our best opportunity. “That’s why I was tough on myself, because I knew it was our only opportunity. “Vegas is still a big question mark but there’s no high-speed circuits [left] which is where we’re very strong. We’re on par with Red Bull almost in the high-speed corners. “Just the slow-speed [corners] are letting us down at the minute. We understand it, we know it’s our area to improve on. “When it comes together, which probably won’t be this year but next year, then we can do some good things.” F1 moves on to Mexico next, before Brazil, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi close out the season. Read More Lewis Hamilton rues Mercedes error which cost him victory at US Grand Prix Max Verstappen booed by American fans on podium after victory Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory

Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes should have pitted him earlier after Max Verstappen’s victory at the United States Grand Prix. Hamilton, who started third on the grid, was closing in on Verstappen in the final laps but in the end crossed the finish line two seconds behind the Dutchman, who claimed his 15th win of the season. Mercedes executed a slightly different two-stop strategy and, as Hamilton acknowledged afterwards, in hindsight should have pitted the seven-time world champion earlier in the first half of the race. “We should’ve stopped before Lando [Norris],” said Hamilton. “I don’t know why we didn’t… the deficit was so hard. We’ve got some work to do.” Mercedes came to Austin with an upgraded floor and it seemed to improve performance, with Hamilton satisfied with the team’s latest step despite the near-miss. However, the seven-time world champion added that the pit stops weren’t quite top-notch in Texas. “Other than that, it’s a step forwards,” he continued. “We need to pick up on some areas, the pit stops and strategy maybe, but it’s right there. “Verstappen started sixth and he was out in front. They [Red Bull] are still ahead and they’re not developing now – they’re just chilling. “We’ve got a huge amount of work to do.” It is the closest Hamilton has come to winning a race this season. The 38-year-old still hasn’t won a race since December 2021 in Saudi Arabia, but is now closing in on Sergio Perez for second place in the world championship. Read More Lando Norris reflects on 2023 win prospects after another near-miss in Austin Max Verstappen booed by American fans on podium after victory Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory

Max Verstappen was loudly booed on the podium after his victory at the US Grand Prix on Sunday. The 2023 world champion started sixth on the grid but after eventually passing leader Lando Norris halfway through the race, Verstappen held off a late challenge from 2021 nemesis Lewis Hamilton to claim his 50th Formula 1 win. Yet as he walked out onto the top step of the podium, the Dutchman was booed by sections of the fanbase in Austin. There were also chants from spectators – who by this point had made their way onto the main straight as is custom post-race – during the Dutch national anthem which followed. Verstappen has faced booing before, most notably at Silverstone last year, and was clearly not a fan favourite at the Circuit of the Americas, especially compared to the likes of Hamilton and Norris. Verstappen claimed his 15th win of the season but unlike many Sunday cruises this year, he was made to work. The Red Bull driver was also complaining of brake issues throughout the 56-lap race and not for the first time this year, he was involved in numerous frosty exchanges with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. Verstappen admitted after the race that Hamilton’s Mercedes team “could have won today if they’d done a better strategy” but was nonetheless satisfied with the victory. Read More Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory F1 United States Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and results in Austin Max Verstappen holds off Lewis Hamilton challenge to win US sprint race

Max Verstappen defied Lewis Hamilton to win a cat-and-mouse United States Grand Prix at a sizzling Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Verstappen has been on easy street this season, but the triple world champion was made to fight for the 50th win of his career – becoming only the fifth driver to reach a half-century. Indeed, at one stage, Hamilton dared to dream of ending a losing streak which stands at 686 days and counting. Yet, as so often been the case this year, Verstappen’s speed in his all-conquering Red Bull machine came to the fore. He moved ahead of Lando Norris on lap 28 of 56 to all but seal the win. Hamilton might bemoan a questionable strategy decision which saw him lose 10 seconds to Verstappen in the opening round of pit stops. But in reality, he probably did not have the pace to stop the Dutchman from claiming his 15th wins from the 18 rounds so far. He crossed the line an agonising 2.2 sec behind Verstappen with Norris hanging on to the final spot on the podium. Hamilton could count himself unfortunate to drop from third to fourth at the start. The seven-time world champion enjoyed a decent getaway, but he was blocked by Norris under braking allowing Sainz to sneak through. Norris had seen off pole-sitter Leclerc with a lunge at the first bend to assume top spot. As Norris set about building a lead – already two seconds clear of Leclerc at the end of the second lap – Hamilton set about passing both scarlet cars. First up was Sainz. Hamilton used the tow to latch on to the back of Ferrari on the 210mph drag to Turn 12, and, assisted by DRS, drew alongside Sainz before sliding underneath the Spaniard. On the following lap, Verstappen, who started in sixth after his pole lap in qualifying was chalked off for exceeding track limits, relegated Sainz another place when he made his move at the same corner. Hamilton has won six times across the Pond – with five of those victories here in Austin – and the 38-year-old required only two laps to swat Leclerc aside for second. Deeper on the brakes at Turn 12, Hamilton sailed round the outside of the Monegasque at the left-hander, with Norris now three seconds up the road. Behind, and Verstappen was not finding it as easy to make progress. He was stuck behind Leclerc for an additional five laps before finally making his move on the Monegasque. He trailed Norris by seven seconds, and Hamilton by four. In the Mercedes garage, Prince Harry cut a pensive figure as he gnawed at his fingernails. The Duke of Sussex has been something of lucky charm for Hamilton. He was a guest of Mercedes when Hamilton secured his second title in the 2014 season decider in Abu Dhabi, leading the congratulations to his fellow Briton on the radio. Verstappen was the first in for new rubber at the end of lap 16 with Norris stopping the next time round. But Hamilton stayed out. Were Mercedes attempting a one-stopper? Hamilton did not seem convinced. Asked if he could complete another five laps on his current set of tyres, Hamilton replied: “I am not sure, man. It is pretty tough.” You have given me a hell of a gap to close Lewis Hamilton on the team radio Hamilton then locked up before his race engineer Peter Bonnington was back on the intercom to inform Hamilton that Verstappen – who on new tyres had just lapped three seconds faster than the Briton – was now likely to gazump him when he eventually stopped. “No s***, man,” yelled Hamilton. “I am struggling out here.” On lap 20, in came Hamilton, and a slow front-right tyre change added to his woes by costing him a needless second. When Hamilton emerged from the pits, he had dropped to third, five seconds adrift of Verstappen. “I came out so far behind,” he said with a hint of dejection. When the opening stops were completed, Norris led Verstappen by 2.4 sec with Hamilton 7.5 off the lead. By virtue of taking on another set of mediums, Verstappen had to stop again, but Norris and Hamilton – now both on the hards – could, if their rubber allowed, go all the way to the end. Hamilton, failing to make any inroads and sensing his best chance of ending a 22-month winning streak had faded, expressed his frustrations. “You have given me a hell of a gap to close,” he said. On lap 28, Verstappen dived underneath Norris for the lead at Turn 12. Norris had a nibble back at the Red Bull heading into the ensuing right hander, but he failed to make it stick. The question now was whether Norris, and indeed Hamilton – now less than five seconds off the lead – could make their tyres last. The answer arrived on lap 34 when Norris dived in for a fresh set of boots. Verstappen followed in on lap 35, and despite, a slow left-rear tyre change, retained his position ahead of Norris. Three laps later and Hamilton was in, changing to the faster medium compound. Hamilton had the bit between his teeth and within 10 laps he was crawling all over the back of Norris’ McLaren. Norris slung his McLaren to the inside on the entry to the first corner in a move to stop Hamilton, but the older Brit gained better traction out of the corner to slingshot by in his Mercedes. Verstappen was five seconds ahead and Hamilton started to reel his old nemesis in only to run out of laps. Sainz took fourth ahead of Sergio Perez with Leclerc sixth and George Russell seventh for Mercedes. Read More I can do something wiser with my time – George Russell stops using social media Charles Leclerc snatches pole position after Max Verstappen’s lap was deleted Daniel Ricciardo ready for AlphaTauri return at United States Grand Prix On this day in 2009: Jenson Button crowned Formula One world champion in Brazil FIA to review Qatar GP as ‘dangerous’ temperatures prompt driver complaints F1 United States Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and results in Austin

F1 returns to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend for the US Grand Prix – and the fifth sprint weekend of the season. Max Verstappen sealed the 2023 world title last time out in Qatar and also claimed his 14th grand prix victory of the season. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was driver of the weekend, however, winning the sprint race and coming second in the grand prix on Sunday. PREVIEW: Daniel Ricciardo must prove he still belongs on the F1 grid Lewis Hamilton had a weekend to forget, crashing into Mercedes team-mate George Russell, while the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were among the chasing pack. Lando Norris finished third to secure a double podium for McLaren. Verstappen won a thrilling race at COTA last year, edging out Lewis Hamilton who has still not won a race since the 2021 season. Hamilton is, however, a five-time winner at the circuit. Charles Leclerc grabbed pole for Sunday’s grand prix after qualifying on Friday. Follow live updates from the United States Grand Prix with The Independent Read More Daniel Ricciardo must prove he still belongs on the F1 grid Charles Leclerc grabs pole position as Max Verstappen rages in Austin Max Verstappen fumes with Red Bull team towards end of US qualifying

Max Verstappen saw off Lewis Hamilton’s early challenge to claim victory in Saturday’s sprint race at the United States Grand Prix. For the first time since their 2021 championship duel for the ages, Verstappen and Hamilton ran line astern in the 19-lap dash at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. But Hamilton was unable to prevent Verstappen from taking the spoils, and accumulating yet another win of this most one-sided of Formula One campaigns. Hamilton took the chequered flag a distant 9.4 seconds adrift of Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third. Verstappen, crowned champion of the world for a third time in Qatar a fortnight ago, took pole position earlier on Saturday and then put his elbows out at the start to ensure Leclerc did not sneak up his inside on the uphill drag to the opening bend. Verstappen moved over to his left to squeeze the Ferrari man allowing Hamilton a clean shot at Leclerc on the exit of the first corner. Hamilton ran over the kerbs and past the Monegasque, and then set his sights on Verstappen. Hamilton has not won a race for nearly two years, the longest losing streak of his career. Indeed, 685 days have passed since he claimed victory at the penultimate round of the 2021 campaign in Saudi Arabia. But for half-a-dozen laps here, Hamilton will have dared to dream that a victory could be on the cards. Hamilton has triumphed six times in America – with five of those victories in the Lone Star State – and his early pace certainly provided Verstappen with food for thought. The seven-time world champion stayed within one second of Verstappen to provide him with a possible DRS slingshot past his Red Bull rival. “Driveability is not there,” moaned Verstappen on the radio. “I lost the rear completely.” Hamilton then hinted his nemesis was gaining an advantage by using more of the track than is allowed. “Max has gone off quite a few times,” said the Mercedes driver. Hamilton has lauded the improvements from his updated machine, but the superiority of Verstappen’s Red Bull came to the fore. Six laps had passed and Verstappen was suddenly out of DRS range. A slim hope of victory for Hamilton was dashed. Yet the 38-year-old, who starts third for tomorrow’s 56-lap main event, will expect to be a contender again. And his chances of a possible win will be aided by Verstappen starting only in sixth after his pole lap in Friday’s qualifying was deleted for exceeding track limits. “Once I cleared the DRS I was settled in my own rhythm and the pace of the car was good,” said Verstappen. “Starting sixth tomorrow will be different to today, but it makes it interesting and hopefully we can have fun. But of course I want to win.” Hamilton said: “That was a fun race. A good start down to Turn 1 and a good battle with Charles. “I was trying early on to get close to Max but their pace is undeniable at the moment. I am happy we are closer, but we still have a long way to go to compete with the pace they had in the race.” Lando Norris took fourth spot ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, with Carlos Sainz sixth. George Russell finished seventh but was demoted to eighth after he served a five-second penalty for an illegal move on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Read More I can do something wiser with my time – George Russell stops using social media Charles Leclerc snatches pole position after Max Verstappen’s lap was deleted Daniel Ricciardo ready for AlphaTauri return at United States Grand Prix On this day in 2009: Jenson Button crowned Formula One world champion in Brazil FIA to review Qatar GP as ‘dangerous’ temperatures prompt driver complaints Lewis Hamilton and George Russell vent anger on radio after collision in Qatar

Max Verstappen bounced back from his mistake in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix to put his Red Bull on pole position for today’s sprint race. Verstappen will line up from only sixth place for Sunday’s main event at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas after his quickest lap was chalked off for exceeding track limits here on Friday night. But less than 24 hours later, the triple world champion atoned for his error to seal top spot ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.055 seconds for the 19-lap dash to the chequered flag later today. “The last lap was not great but we are still on pole so it shows the car is working well,” said Verstappen, with less than a tenth separating the top-three drivers. “It will be an exciting afternoon with cars close to each other so we don’t know what will happen in the sprint race. Normally in the race we are okay, but this track is demanding.” Lewis Hamilton finished third, seven hundredths behind Verstappen, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fourth and fifth respectively for McLaren. George Russell qualified eighth. It was not all plain-sailing for Verstappen after he spun on the exit of Turn 9 in Q2. Verstappen took too much kerb on the entry to the left hander which sent him onto the grass and into a pirouette. But after he completed a 360-degree spin, Verstappen was able to make it back to his garage and into Q3. Hamilton also survived a hairy moment in the opening phase of qualifying when he nudged the back of Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri. “Check my front wing,” said Hamilton on the radio. “One of the drivers blocked me and we touched.” Hamilton was able to continue and although the stewards noted the incident, no further action was taken. Daniel Ricciardo, absent from the last five races with a broken hand, out-qualified Tsunoda to progress to Q2 and finish 11th. Tsunoda starts 19th, one place ahead of Logan Sargeant who propped up the order for the second day in a row at his home event. The sprint gets under way at 5pm local time (11pm BST). Read More I can do something wiser with my time – George Russell stops using social media Charles Leclerc snatches pole position after Max Verstappen’s lap was deleted Daniel Ricciardo ready for AlphaTauri return at United States Grand Prix On this day in 2009: Jenson Button crowned Formula One world champion in Brazil FIA to review Qatar GP as ‘dangerous’ temperatures prompt driver complaints Lewis Hamilton and George Russell vent anger on radio after collision in Qatar

F1 returns to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend for the US Grand Prix – and the fifth sprint weekend of the season. Max Verstappen sealed the 2023 world title last time out in Qatar and also claimed his 14th grand prix victory of the season. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was driver of the weekend, however, winning the sprint race and coming second in the grand prix on Sunday. PREVIEW: Daniel Ricciardo must prove he still belongs on the F1 grid Lewis Hamilton had a weekend to forget, crashing into Mercedes team-mate George Russell, while the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were among the chasing pack. Lando Norris finished third to secure a double podium for McLaren. Verstappen won a thrilling race at COTA last year, edging out Lewis Hamilton who has still not won a race since the 2021 season. Hamilton is, however, a five-time winner at the circuit. Charles Leclerc grabbed pole for Sunday’s grand prix after qualifying on Friday. Follow live updates from the United States Grand Prix with The Independent Read More Lewis Hamilton insists F1 must remain extreme: ‘Let’s not get too soft’ Daniel Ricciardo must prove he still belongs on the F1 grid F1 drivers react as sport governing body increases size of fines