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Ferrari fans cheered as Carlos Sainz clinched the pole position and the first-ever pole position for Ferrari at the Circuit of the Americas after ruling out Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc on his final hot lap.
An unexpected surprise from Carlos Sainz has helped him get a front-row start at the United States Grand Prix. Although Max Verstappen qualified on P3, he will be the one to start the race alongside the Spaniard since Charles Leclerc, who put in the second fastest lap but will have to serve a 10-place grid penalty during the race.
Carlos Sainz is not usually known for his qualifying pace. His first ever pole position was at the British Grand Prix this year, which also turned out to be his maiden F1 victory. The second was in Belgium, and the United States has now become the third. Leclerc, who has one of the best qualifying paces on the grid, lost some time on the track, which gave Sainz the opportunity to set the fastest lap.
Fans joyous as Carlos Sainz snatches pole position
Carlos Sainz's pole position saw Tifosi celebrate on Twitter. Since the two Ferraris were technically the fastest in the session, the race is looking good for them. Here are some of the best reactions.
One fan reacted:
"Nice & spicy Carlos"
The front-row would have been locked in by both the Ferraris, but Leclerc's 10-place grid penalty will see him start P12 in the race, giving Verstappen a P2 start.
Verstappen did not sound frustrated on the radio after qualifying third fastest and appears confident about his race pace. The Grand Prix at COTA is usually won by front-row runners, so if Sainz manages to battle Verstappen, it could turn out to be his second victory.
Charles Leclerc is not the only one who will be taking grid penalties this weekend. Fernando Alonso in his Alpine, Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull, and Guanyu Zhou in his Alfa Romeo are all facing 5-place grid penalties for new engine parts.
