Lewis Hamilton qualified for the United States grand prix in a disappointing fifth position after a near-miss with Max Verstappen. There was a close encounter at turn 19 in Q2 between Verstappen and Hamilton, who had engaged in a war of words via the media after their collision at the start of the Mexico Grand Prix last week, with Hamilton complaining of the threat of being “torpedoed” by the aggressive style of the Red Bull driver and Verstappen accusing him of being “disrespectful”.
Verstappen was forced on to the grass as he tried to pass Hamilton, who was himself seeking to get past the Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat. Stewards did not investigate the incident. Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, secured pole with a lap time of 1.32.029, just ahead of Sebastian Vettel, Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Hamilton was 0.292 seconds slower than Bottas.
Bottas is the only driver who can still deny Hamilton his sixth drivers’ championship, though the Briton’s lead is so great with only three races left that it would take a miracle to catch him. Bottas would have to win Sunday’s race, with Hamilton outside the top eight, in order to keep the championship mathematically alive.
Hamilton, who had complained after Friday’s first practice session that the track was so bumpy that it gave him a headache, had secured pole in the past three races in Austin, where he routinely dominates. But his most recent pole this season came at the German grand prix in July.
There was encouragement for Lando Norris. The 19-year-old Briton, who is twelfth in the standings in his rookie Formula One season, was fastest in Q1 in his McLaren and ultimately qualified in eighth, one place behind his teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr.