Formula 1 News: Verstappen wins pole for 2025 USGP

Despite a team blunder robbing him of a second flying lap, four-time world champion Max Verstappen unleashed a blistering 1m32.510s in his Red Bull RB21 to claim pole position for Sunday’s 2025 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. It marked his seventh pole of the season—outpacing every rival—and capped a dream weekend after he also topped Sprint qualifying before storming to victory earlier Saturday.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The Dutch maestro was all smiles post-session: “It was good. Every segment felt strong in the car, even with the heat and those gusty winds throwing us around. We botched the out-lap on that final run—total mess—but we didn’t need it anyway.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris, piloting what many deem the grid’s quickest machine, settled for second, just 0.291 seconds adrift in the #4 papaya rocket. “I clawed back half a tenth from yesterday, but today was a grind for some reason—felt off my game,” Norris admitted. “We both struggled to string the perfect lap together. P2’s solid; could’ve been uglier, but pole was off the table.”

Verstappen’s single-shot flyer proved more than sufficient, fending off the field by nearly three tenths without firing another bullet.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotted into third, a mere 0.006 seconds shy of Norris and 0.297 behind the pole-sitter—a welcome boost after a tricky weekend. “Huge surprise, honestly, given how tough it’s been for us,” Leclerc beamed. “We’ve got some car quirks to unpack—massive swings in one weekend without touching a thing. But we’re usually stronger in the race than quali, so that’s our silver lining.”

Mercedes’ George Russell muscled his way to fourth, 0.316 seconds off the pace, while new Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five in the #44 scarlet machine, 0.402 behind Verstappen—his best starting spot of a challenging campaign.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri endured a frustrating afternoon, qualifying a distant sixth, 0.570 seconds off pole and nursing McLaren’s post-Sprint wounds.

The midfield shuffle saw Mercedes protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli snag seventh, with teenage sensation Oliver Bearman delivering a standout eighth in the upgraded Haas—his first top-10 flirtation. Spain’s Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) locked in ninth and tenth, respectively, rounding out a grid primed for fireworks.

The session wasn’t without its heart-stoppers: Q1 ground to a halt just three minutes in, red-flagged after Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar lost the rear through the high-speed Esses and hammered the barriers. A 10-minute barrier reshuffle forced a frantic 13-minute restart—with zero lap times deleted in the melee—setting a tense tone for the rest of qualifying.

As the sun sets on a sweltering Austin afternoon, Sunday’s Grand Prix looms large. A Verstappen win could flip the title script on its head, pulling him within striking distance of Piastri’s lead. Norris eyes a gap-closer for McLaren, Ferrari dreams of podium glory with Leclerc and Hamilton in sync, Russell craves Mercedes silver, and the midfield Spaniards plot upsets. Buckle up—COTA’s chaos is just getting started.

2025 USGP Qualifying Results