USA GP Sprint qualifying: Piastri mistake helps Red Bull hit back amid rules drama

Oscar Piastri had a day to forget at the US Grand Prix as Red Bull hit back amid a stoush that threatens to blow the championship open.

Max Verstappen took pole position for the sprint race at the United States Grand Prix in a mini statement as he looks to take control of the championship battle.

Verstappen leads the championship by 52 points. The winner of the sprint race picks up eight points, with McLaren and Norris realistically requiring a Verstappen DNF to have a chance to win the championship.

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The Dutchman produced a superb flying lap to claim pole ahead of George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

It was a day to forget for Oscar Piastri, who qualified 16th and was eliminated from SQ1 after having a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 19.

While the Australian has a chance to redeem himself in qualifying on Sunday and the main race on Monday morning, it’s not an ideal start to the weekend as McLaren try to keep the pressure on Red Bull.

Martin Brundle said on Sky Sports: “This is tough. You’ve got one set of tyres. One lap effectively. You’ve got to go out and ace it effectively. 

“That’s not what McLaren needed with their world championship fight. Both with Norris and in the constructors.”

David Croft added: “Chances are he’s not going to be doing anything to help his teammate down in 16th. Not the start Oscar Piastri was looking for.”

Oscar Piastri lost his lap time for exceeding track limits. Photo: Fox Sports.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown said: “Obviously a disappointing start to sprint qualifying. Car looks like it’s got plenty of speed.

“Unfortunately Oscar lost his lap there, he was comfortably in. Bit of a long day tomorrow.

“Drivers aren’t totally happy with the handling of the car. That corner gets some people caught out.”

Piastri said: “Most of the lap was good. Made a few mistakes in the last sector and second last corner just tried to go a bit too fast.

“A shame but the one good thing about sprint weekends is we have another shot tomorrow.It feels OK.”

The Australian said McLaren’s car was “Maybe not quite as strong as the last few races”.

“I don’t think that’s because we’re week,” he added.
“I think the others are bit stronger maybe. We’re still in the fight. We’re certainly not miles behind.”

Norris described his sprint qualifying lap as “shocking”.

“Been struggling the whole day honestly with the balance and the set-up,” he said.

“Happy with P4 because I feel like it could have been a lot worse, but my lap was shocking.

“Not a terrible day, could have been worse, could have been better.”

Sergio Perez was 11th in sprint qualifying, pushed out of the top 10 by VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Williams rookie Franco Colapinto.

It was a rare off day for Oscar Piastri. (Photo by Mark Sutton/Getty Images)

Verstappen has gone eight races without a victory in a long drought stretching back to the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

But the three-time world champion looks in ominous form amid a rules stoush between Red Bull and McLaren.

#F1SPRINT QUALIFYING CLASSIFICATION

The gap between Max and George was just 0.012s 😮‍💨#F1#USGPpic.twitter.com/evhfnSKWH7

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2024

Norris said he did not expect rivals Red Bull to lose performance after making requested car alterations.

Red Bull admitted they had made changes after talks with the sport’s ruling body the International Motoring Federation (FIA), widely reported to have concerned a “trick” mechanism to control the ride height of their cars.

Red Bull have denied making use of the device, known as a “bib”.

“It’s one thing having it on your car and a second if you’re using it,” said Norris.

“So, if it has been helping them, if they’ve been utilising it in the way people think they have, then maybe it will shift in our direction, but when you talk about things like that, they’re not going to have got several pole positions or wins just because of such a device.

“So I don’t think it will really change anything in the scheme of things — maybe at certain qualifying when it’s been split by hundreds of a second or even thousands. Then you might say, ‘OK, well, maybe this has helped in that direction or this direction’.”

The story was a hot topic in the Austin paddock with many observers suggesting that the issue was that a device may have been used to change a car’s ride height in parc ferme between qualifying and the race.

“While we have not received any indication of any team employing such a system, the FIA remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to enhance the policing of the sport,” the ruling body said in a statement.

Red Bull’s bib trick is the talk of the paddock. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Teams are not allowed to make set-up changes between qualifying and the race.

A Red Bull representative said: “Yes, it exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run. In the correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”

On his prospects this weekend as F1 goes into a triple header of races in Texas, Mexico and Brazil, Norris said: “Our expectations now, and actually for a while, have been that we’re a top team and we’re fighting for wins and we’re fighting for a constructors’ championship and a drivers’ championship.

“So just as much as it can go wrong, it can also go well, like it has done for us. We’re fighting against the best of the best and it’s been a fun year. I think no matter what, it’s still been a successful season.” Verstappen made it clear he was unconcerned over the issue.

“Let’s see how the upgrades go,” he said, referring to a package aimed to boost his and the team’s performance for the run-in to the championship season in which they trail rivals McLaren in the constructors title race.

“I’m not worried about anything and I just want to go out and have fun and do the best I can to do well in the race. There’s a lot of changes including the track, too, so let’s see how it goes.”

With AFP