The Dutchman with Red Bull sends the Mc Larens into crisis: in the Sprint Piastri collides with Hulkenberg and Norris, the world championship leader in crisis. The Reds improve: Charles 6 thousandths from the front row, Hamilton is fifth
Six thousandths from the front row. In the official tests for the Austin Grand Prix the Ferraris are finally the protagonists in a positive way. Charles Leclerc with an exceptional lap he comes one step away from the great feat, but the Monegasque’s third place is still an exceptional result, as well as Lewis Hamilton’s fifth. The Reds will start ahead of World Championship leader Oscar Piastri who seems to be in the midst of a crisis and will see his rivals for the title start on the front row. Max Verstappen takes yet another pole position (and a few hours earlier he had won the Sprint) while Lando Norris with a fantastic lap manages to win the right to start alongside the Dutchman.
Bumper cars in the Sprint
Saturday in Austin immediately becomes difficult for Mc Laren because Piastri gets into trouble at the start in the Sprint: to try to overtake Norris he widens and hits Hulkenberg’s car which crashes into Norris’s. Result The Mc Larens are immediately out and will not be able to have useful data for the official tests, while the Ferraris use the Sprint to try to improve and they succeed. In the meantime, Verstappen is uncatchable, wins the Sprint and then takes pole position. As recovers another 8 points for PIastri, he is now 55 points behind the leader of the Drivers’ Championship who also has to watch out for his teammate. Norris is at 22 points from Piastri and will start in the front row. Verstappen achieved an objective that seemed impossible, putting pressure on Mc Laren, the absolute dominators of the first part of the season.
