Formula 1. U.S. Grand Prix. Qualifications. Half a step before the title

Late at night, Minsk time ended qualification, which determined the order of the drivers on the grid for Sunday's Formula 1 US Grand Prix. Despite the confident dominance of Ferrari cars throughout all three sessions of free races, the riders of the Italian Scuderia could not win pole, the owner of which for the 7th time this season was the driver of Mercedes Kimi Antonelli.

Strange as it may sound, neither Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton could even keep the winner company at the traditional press conference, where, in addition to Atonelli, Red Bull pilots Max Verstappen and Isaac Hajar were invited. It is this top three racers Saturday qualifying will lead at the start of the group of 22 participants of the main celebration of motorsport fans at the American circuit of the Americas in Austin. The head of “Ferrari” Frederic Wasser in his comments to journalists did not hide his frustration about the lost pole and such a modest result against the background of the leadership of his players on Friday and Saturday morning. The 4th and 5th places where Leclerc and Hamilton will prepare for the race were clearly below what the Scuderia leadership expected after so many successful new products that were brought from Italy specifically for this race. Explanations of the temperature drop by a couple of degrees due to clouds that covered the Texas sun for a while, or sudden gusts of wind, according to the French Ferrari manager, can not justify the advantage of rivals.

To be honest, for a long time, Frederick Wasser did not express himself in such a categorical form in the address of his pilots. Now we can only hope that they will please their boss with at least a successful performance in the race itself. After all, the circuit in Austin, the first built in the United States specifically for the Formula 1 championship, has a stable reputation as the most overtaking track. Wide, with noticeable elevation differences, a long rear straight, sharp insidious turns, and even twisted counterclockwise, which forces the pilots to experience not quite usual for them loads, it allows you to fight and overtake almost throughout the race, and not only when the tires are unusable.

Strictly rank motors

It is not the first time I draw the attention of readers to the fact that if there are no obvious mistakes of drivers, then on such tracks as Monza, Spa-Francochamps and Austin, drivers qualify almost always next to their teammates. And in this scenario, the one who is lower in the final table shows the real level of his car. The one above shows the real level of his talent. And it is the victory in a qualifying duel with his teammate that shows how much more skill the winner has than the loser.

In the first segment, the group of outsiders was made up of Cadillac pilots with Walterri Bottas behind and Williams, where the Spaniard Carlos Sainz was stronger than his British partner Alex Albon. Here it will be appropriate to note that the US Grand Prix came Claire Williams, the daughter of the ancestor of the British stable Sir Frank Williams. She had a few years to lead this racing team, inherited from her father. But its management at that time was, according to experts in the field of motorsport, not at the highest level. And unable to resist the “slip” of the team on an effective slope down, Claire was forced to sell the main asset of her father. The lens of the official television camera Grand Prix snatched the sad expression of the British lady from many others. Claire must have had a double feeling. On the one hand, the sadness that the team is still at the bottom of the standings, in general, and closes the qualifying list, in particular. But on the other hand, Claire could have been ironic about it, you know, it wasn't about my leadership, because you're not doing better than you were in my management today.

At Aston Martin, judging by my observations above, Lance Stroll showed the level of his team’s car, qualifying 18th. But Fernando Alonso, ahead of the Canadian by 0.4 seconds on the same car, showed the level of his advantage over his partner. Not only did he advance to the next segment, but he eventually outpaced several rivals. After several penalties applied to rivals of the Spanish champion during qualifying for over-planned replacements of power units, as well as several canceled for cutting the trajectory of laps, Fernando in the race will start from 12th place. Not a bad bid to finish in the points again.

The Haas pilots were stationed on neighboring lines of protocol. Oliver Berman was about half a second faster than Esteban Ocon. The French driver lacks not only a good car but also motivation. Already knowing that next year the American team chose Brazilian Rafael Camar, Esteban would have to try to get ahead of his team-mate, but it is not possible to do this with ease and confidence.

Franco Collapinto knew even before qualifying that he would get a powertrain penalty. And therefore psychological pressure on himself probably did not experience. However, he lost to his teammate Pierre Gasley almost 0.7 seconds. Here again: Franco drove as the Alpin car and his racing talent allowed, and Pierre added his experience and skill to the competition. As a result, the Frenchman in the table of qualification results is in 11th place and starts from 10th after penalties to opponents, and the Argentine in the qualifying list was in 14th place, and will now start from the last row after his own penalty.

Audi pilots after qualifying were nearby, at the very beginning of the second ten. But Nico Hulkenerg will start the race from 11th place, and Gabriel Bortoleto last. His penalty, based on the new regulations, causes some irony, as it amounts to the loss of 60 (!) places on the grid. But since there are only 22 combat racers in F1 today, the Brazilian will start from 22nd position.

In the duel of the pilots of the McLaren team, Lando Norris initially led. But on the last qualifying lap, the Briton made a mistake, leaving the track. His time on that lap was cancelled. And, having passed George Russell, and along with Oscar Piastry, Norris will start with his partner from the 4th row, but only from the 8th position. Immediately behind the pilots of the British stable, which all season acts as the reigning champion, Liam Lawson will go to the race in his Racing Bulls. Together with his partner, the New Zealander went to the 3rd segment, which in itself can be considered a success for this modest racing team. That's just at the start of the race, the youngest pilot of this year, Ervid Lindblad, will bring his car to the 14th position, receiving a fine with the loss of 5 seats for an unscheduled replacement of one of the elements of the power plant.

Who will be Kimi’s main competitor in the race?

I dare say that Red Bull will be able to show good pace in the race. The duel of its riders in the usual manner ended with the victory of the more experienced Max Verstappen. Only this time, Isaac Hajar was very close to his partner. They were separated by only 0.036 seconds. And if you consider that the Dutch champion complained about the shaky asphalt of the American circuit, then in the race the pace of his car may be the fastest in the peleton. After all, the winner of the qualification Kimi Antonelli time was faster than Max less than 0.2 seconds.

The Ferrari cars also inspire hope. Only here on a long straight they are still inferior to rivals from Mercedes and Red Bull. Or maybe with full tanks, the cars of the Italian Scuderia, driven by two talented drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hjmilton, still will not be so slow? Then we will surely enjoy their overtaking, which is quite possible at the circuit in Austin.

At the final press conference, the pilots of Red Bull were in unusual white racing jumpsuits, shaded black uniform Kimi Antonelli. Who knows, maybe in a few hours the world of Formula 1 will receive the name of a new champion, the youngest in the history of the Grand Prizes. But for this, the championship leader must first become the winner of today’s US Grand Prix.

Taking into account the difference in 9 time zones, the broadcast of the US Grand Prix, the most important racing event for American fans of Formula 1, will begin at 23.00 Minsk time. And this race will end for Belarusian fans by midnight on Monday.