United States GP: Bottas beats Vettel to pole, Hamilton fifth
Valtteri Bottas claimed his fifth pole position of the 2019 Formula 1 season in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix at Austin.

The Mercedes driver's first run in Q3, during which he posted a lap of 1m32.029s, was good enough to be sure of pole.
Neither he nor Sebastian Vettel, who was just 0.012 seconds slower, were able to improve on their second attempts but the Ferrari driver's first-run pace was also good enough for a place on the front row.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen did improve on the second attempt to consolidate third place, just 0.067s slower than Bottas, with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc also finding time but ending up 0.108s down in fourth.
World championship leader Lewis Hamilton abandoned his second lap after losing time in the second sector, meaning he ended up fifth and 0.292s down. He only requires an eighth place in Sunday's race to wrap up the 2019 title.
Alex Albon was sixth in the second Red Bull, 0.519s off the pace.
Carlos Sainz benefited from having two sets of fresh softs in Q3 thanks to completing only one run in Q1 to secure midfield honours in seventh place with a lap just three tenths slower than Albon.
Sainz's McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, also earned a place on the fourth row in eighth, almost three-and-a-half tenths slower.
Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo, who completed his sole Q3 run on a clear track before the final flurry, was ninth fastest, 1.459s off the pace, and just over a tenth faster than Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly.
The Ferrari and Mercedes drivers will start on mediums having used that tyre compound for their Q2 time, along with Verstappen - with the rest of the top 10 using softs.
Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg was quickest of those knocked out in 11th place after lapping one tenth slower than Gasly.
He briefly climbed into the top 10 as he finished his final lap, only to be knocked down a place by teammate Ricciardo.
Kevin Magnussen was 12th for Haas having failed to improve on his second run, ending up 0.010s quicker than Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat - who had a time that originally put him 11th deleted for a track-limits violation.
Racing Point's Lance Stroll was 14th, just over half a tenth quicker than 15th-fastest Romain Grosjean's Haas.
Alfa Romeo duo Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen were both eliminated in Q1 in 16th and 17th places respectively.
The pair were both in the drop zone after the first runs, with Raikkonen briefly climbing to 15th ahead of Gasly before Giovinazzi leaped ahead thanks to his stronger pace in the middle sector.
But Gasly then posted a time good enough to shuffle both back into the bottom five, where they ended the session well clear of the lead Williams of George Russell.
Racing Point driver Sergio Perez must start from the pits thanks to missing the weighbridge in practice two, so completed only one run and was 19th fastest.
That put him less than a tenth faster than the second Williams of Robert Kubica.
Cla | Driver | Chassis | Time | Gap | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | ![]() | Mercedes | 01'32.029 | |
2 | | ![]() | Ferrari | 01'32.041 | 00.012 |
3 | | ![]() | Red Bull | 01'32.096 | 00.067 |
4 | | ![]() | Ferrari | 01'32.137 | 00.108 |
5 | | ![]() | Mercedes | 01'32.321 | 00.292 |
6 | | ![]() | Red Bull | 01'32.548 | 00.519 |
7 | | ![]() | McLaren | 01'32.847 | 00.818 |
8 | | ![]() | McLaren | 01'33.175 | 01.146 |
9 | | ![]() | Renault | 01'33.488 | 01.459 |
10 | | ![]() | Toro Rosso | 01'33.601 | 01.572 |
11 | | ![]() | Renault | 01'33.815 | 01.786 |
12 | | ![]() | Haas | 01'33.979 | 01.950 |
13 | | ![]() | Toro Rosso | 01'33.989 | 01.960 |
14 | | ![]() | Racing Point | 01'34.100 | 02.071 |
15 | | ![]() | Haas | 01'34.158 | 02.129 |
16 | | ![]() | Alfa Romeo | 01'34.226 | 02.197 |
17 | | ![]() | Alfa Romeo | 01'34.369 | 02.340 |
18 | | ![]() | Williams | 01'35.372 | 03.343 |
19 | | ![]() | Williams | 01'35.889 | 03.860 |
20 | | ![]() | Racing Point | 01'35.808 | 03.779 |
View full results |

Previous article
Veteran F1 tech chief Fry to join Renault in 2020
Next article
United States GP: Starting grid in pictures

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | United States GP |
Sub-event | QU |
Author | Edd Straw |
United States GP: Bottas beats Vettel to pole, Hamilton fifth
Trending
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end