Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

United States GP: How the grid will line up for the race

Lewis Hamilton will start today's United States Grand Prix from pole position as he bids to close the 33-point championship gap to Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Nico Rosberg

Hamilton took his first pole position in Austin, a track where he has won three times in four starts, by two-tenths of a second in qualifying.

Both Mercedes drivers will start the race on soft-compound Pirelli tyres, having set their fastest times in Q2 using them, although they set their Q3 times using super-softs.

Hamilton has had difficulties with his starts in 2016, most recently dropping to eighth at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks ago, but is confident going into Sunday's race.

"Honestly, I feel great," he said when asked whether he had any anxiety about the start.

"I was in the factory last week, I worked very hard on the sequence, the process that we have now and I'm even more comfortable.

"The [practice] starts this weekend have been fantastic, so I plan to carry that through."

With fourth-placed Max Verstappen also starting on the soft-compound Pirellis, there is some strategic variation among the Mercedes and Red Bull drivers as Daniel Ricciardo will start on super-softs.

Ricciardo said yesterday that he's hopeful the extra grip of the super-softs will be an advantage off the line, while Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is pleased to have both strategic options covered.

"It was not clear strategically which was the best route to take, but both drivers showed a preference for the tyre they were starting on and, from a team perspective, tactically it makes sense," said Horner.

"It covers both options for us strategically. It's not obvious which is the better strategy, so rather than putting all your eggs in one basket [it is logical] to split your odds.

"One of the advantages [for Ricciardo] is the start and he will be out of synch with the others, so it's an interesting tactic."

The rest of the top 10 will start on super-soft rubber, while Force India driver Sergio Perez will be the best-placed of those with a free tyre choice having just failed to make Q3.

The driver most out of position on the grid is Jenson Button, who blamed McLaren's bad timing for failing to escape Q1 after hitting traffic and will start 19th.

THE GRID

Pos Driver Team Car Time Gap
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes 1m34.999s -
2 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes 1m35.215s 0.216s
3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing Red Bull/Renault 1m35.509s 0.510s
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Red Bull/Renault 1m35.747s 0.748s
5 Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 1m36.131s 1.132s
6 Sebastian Vettel Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 1m36.358s 1.359s
7 Nico Hulkenberg Sahara Force India F1 Team Force India/Mercedes 1m36.628s 1.629s
8 Valtteri Bottas Williams Martini Racing Williams/Mercedes 1m37.116s 2.117s
9 Felipe Massa Williams Martini Racing Williams/Mercedes 1m37.269s 2.270s
10 Carlos Sainz Jr. Scuderia Toro Rosso Toro Rosso/Ferrari 1m37.326s 2.327s
11 Sergio Perez Sahara Force India F1 Team Force India/Mercedes 1m37.353s 2.354s
12 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda McLaren/Honda 1m37.417s 2.418s
13 Daniil Kvyat Scuderia Toro Rosso Toro Rosso/Ferrari 1m37.480s 2.481s
14 Esteban Gutierrez Haas F1 Team Haas/Ferrari 1m37.773s 2.774s
15 Jolyon Palmer Renault Sport F1 Team Renault 1m37.935s 2.936s
16 Marcus Ericsson Sauber F1 Team Sauber/Ferrari 1m39.356s 4.357s
17 Romain Grosjean Haas F1 Team Haas/Ferrari 1m38.308s 3.309s
18 Kevin Magnussen Renault Sport F1 Team Renault 1m38.317s 3.318s
19 Jenson Button McLaren Honda McLaren/Honda 1m38.327s 3.328s
20 Pascal Wehrlein Manor Racing MRT Manor/Mercedes 1m38.548s 3.549s
21 Felipe Nasr Sauber F1 Team Sauber/Ferrari 1m38.583s 3.584s
22 Esteban Ocon Manor Racing MRT Manor/Mercedes 1m38.806s 3.807s

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Williams tried experimental 2017 front wing during US GP practice
Next article Lewis Hamilton takes 50th F1 win in US Grand Prix

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe