00:02Esteban Ocon goes behind Daniel Ricciardo. Not a great lap there from Esteban Ocon. He is very
00:07much at risk. Kevin Magnussen jumps out of that bottom five and Ocon looking nervously over his
00:13shoulder at the likes now of Lando Norris and Joe Guanyu. Yeah Norris very much nervously looking
00:18ahead though. He needs to get this lap finished and does up into P8. And that pushes Esteban
00:24Ocon down into the bottom five and out of qualifying. So Norris goes eighth fastest,
00:28Bottas 11th fastest. Daniel Ricciardo is on the cusp. What can Joe Guanyu do about that? He can put
00:34his car 10th fastest and knock Daniel Ricciardo out of qualifying. That's what he can do. Alex Albon
00:39moves out of the bottom five only by 17 thousandths of a second. But that is enough to give him
00:46some
00:46daylight for the time being. Nicolas Latifi in his last US Grand Prix. He's going to leave Williams at
00:53the end of the season. Would dearly love another progression from Q1 this season. Crosses the line
00:59now and he doesn't sadly make it for him which is a relief to his teammate Alex Albon.
01:05As we watch Mick Schumacher presumably locking an axle and the rear axle and then pirouette checking out
01:13where he's just been and off he goes again. Lap ruins. So that then is the first part of qualifying
01:22over. Mick Schumacher out along with Nicolas Latifi, Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen.
01:31Checkered flag is out. So these laps are going to have to count. Pierre Gasly, the driver at risk,
01:3810th fastest and only 10th fastest right on the cusp. I don't think that's going to be enough
01:43for Pierre Gasly. Sebastian Vettel flirting with the track limits once again. Goes ninth fastest
01:47in his Aston Martin. Behind him is teammate Lance Stroll. Lance Stroll never reached Q3 here in
01:54Austin. Goes seventh fastest to try and end that particular duck. Lando Norris goes into the top
02:0010. So Sebastian Vettel out of it. Gasly out of it. Alex Albon now right on the cusp with Bottas
02:05and Joe Guanyu behind him and in the bottom five currently. So Albon and Norris looking a little bit
02:12unsteady potentially. Valtteri Bottas goes ninth fastest. Pushes Alex Albon into that bottom five
02:18and Lando Norris waiting now to see what Joe Guanyu can manage. Albon has carried on actually for
02:24another lap but he's not putting in the times in the first few sectors. Alonso seventh fastest.
02:29Still Lando Norris right on the cusp of things. This will decide it. Joe Guanyu goes into the top 10
02:35on his first visit to the circuit of the Americas. Lando Norris is out of qualifying. Joe Guanyu has
02:42had a lap time deleted. Oh no. And that's pushed him out and well that saved Lando Norris. Yeah. That's
02:49not the first time this season I think Lando Norris has been saved by someone else having a lap time
02:54deleted. Gasly. He's out I'm afraid. As is Joe Guanyu. As is Yuki Tsunoda. Sebastian Vettel and Alex Albon.
03:03Leclerc and Verstappen separated by only five one hundredths of a second.
03:091.36.1 for Alonso in the Alpine. But Max Verstappen has found more time in the middle sector.
03:16Is this provisional pole for Max Verstappen? Yes it is. We're not quite into the 1.34s yet.
03:22But Verstappen who was on pole this time last year here. Has put his car on provisional pole.
03:26But for only the time being. As Charles Leclerc is setting this track alight.
03:31And has about three tenths advantage over Verstappen through the first two parts of the lap.
03:36Yeah. Once again then Leclerc and Ferrari showing tremendous speed together.
03:41As you say he's got a penalty to take yet. But there'll still be a lot of pride in being
03:45fastest.
03:47They'll not be messing around here with too many slipstreams.
03:49Because of the nature of the track layout.
03:53Fourth on the grid. Last two races here. Charles Leclerc. He won't be fourth this year.
03:56But he would like to win qualifying. And he is four tenths of a second faster than Max Verstappen.
04:02That is a very impressive lap. As Sergio Perez puts his red bull potentially onto the front row.
04:08Without Leclerc penalty to come.
04:09Keep an eye on Hamilton. He's out there flying along as well.
04:12Meanwhile Sainz goes second. Hamilton fastest through the middle sector.
04:17So that's Sainz now on provisional pole. And Hamilton goes third fastest ahead of Max Verstappen.
04:24The one who's had a bad first sector. Lewis Hamilton. 25.8 for him.
04:28Three tenths of Leclerc. And Sainz and Verstappen who's set the fastest middle sector so far.
04:36And that's about three tenths of a second faster than this man.
04:39Charles Leclerc wobbly as he comes out of the final turn.
04:42It's a 1.34.4. That is the fastest time so far.
04:46Carlos Sainz goes on to pole position.
04:49By six one hundredths of a second.
04:51In the year that he took his first pole in Formula One.
04:53He's got provisional pole now.
04:55If he can fend off the likes of Max Verstappen.
04:58Russell goes fifth fastest.
05:00Verstappen goes third fastest.
05:01Is this no pole for a second year running here at Cota for Max Verstappen?
05:06And it's Ferrari that are going to get that pole as Lewis Hamilton crosses the line.
05:11Only fifth fastest.
05:12Well they had one chance to grab pole today because of Charles Leclerc's penalty.
05:18And grab it they have.
05:19Carlos Sainz for the second time in Formula One is on pole.
05:24P1 baby.
05:25Good job.
05:26I knew it was coming guys.
05:28I knew it.
05:29With Max Verstappen not getting polled today it means Charles Leclerc will end the season with the most poles of
05:34any driver.
05:34Carlos Sainz a very impressive drive here this evening here at Austin.
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