Breaking: US Grand Prix: Pole for Carlos Sainz, Alonso 9th, but will start 14th

A majestic Carlos Sainz, who had warned in Q1 with the best lap, has taken pole position at the 2022 United States Grand Prix, the third of the course and of his life, to aspire tomorrow to victory in the COTA of Austin.

 

 

Carlos made the most of his talent to dodge the wind and manage not to make any mistakes for the first dry pole of his life, since the previous two (Silverstone and Spa) were in wet asphalt conditions . “It has been a lot of fun despite the gusts of wind. I have been very close many times and finally the pole has fallen dry,” commented the 28-year-old from Madrid, on the same finish straight.

Neither Leclerc nor Verstappen could beat Sainz on his best Saturday in F1. Charles was going to be behind on the grid, as he was penalized 10 places for changing the engine, but the Dutchman remained , who wanted to dedicate pole position to his mentor, Dietrich Mateschitz, who died two hours before

 Qualifying and who bet for him to get to F1 at the age of 17. The last sector of Carlos was unapproachable for the two-time world champion. The cleanliness of the return is impressive.

 

Alonso will start 15th

Fernando Alonso got the ninth time in Q3, but his sanction of 5 places for engine change relegates him to the fourteenth start, still ahead of Esteban Ocon, who will do it in the 18th position after a painful performance. Fernando can come back on a circuit in which he is ahead and that he does like a charm.

Starting grid, US GP 2022

1st Carlos Sainz (B) Ferrari 1’34″356 13

2nd M. Verstappen (B) Red Bull 1’34″448 +00″092 14

3rd L. Hamilton (B) Mercedes 1’34″947 +00″591 18

4th G. Russell (B) Mercedes 1’35″316 +00″960 16

5th L. Stroll (B) Aston Martin 1’35″598 +01″242 15

6th L. Norris (B) McLaren 1’35″690 +01″334 18

7th V. Bottas (B) Alfa Romeo 1’36″319 +01″963 17

8th A. Albon (B) Williams 1’36″368 15

9th S. Perez (B) Red Bull 1’34″645 +00″289 12 (5 places)

12th C. Leclerc (B) Ferrari 1’34″421 +00″065 13 (10 places)

14th Fernando Alonso (B) Alpine 1’35″876 +01″520 17 (5 places)

Carlos passed third in Q2 and Alonso seventh

The Ferrari and Verstappen passed with leftover used rubber and Alonso , made two very good laps, seventh in both and only surpassed by the three big teams. The Asturian is another level, especially on complicated tracks like the fast and bumpy one in Austin. Vettel and the two AlphaTauri, on the other hand, were eliminated.

Sainz went first in Q1 with a vueltón, Ocon’s fiasco

Carlos made a stratospheric turn to beat Leclerc by 0.498 and Verstappen by more than half a second.