Sainz takes pole for the third time, Stroll records his best qualifying result in over two years and Ricciardo is out-qualified by a team-mate at COTA for the first time since 2012. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2022 United States Grand Prix!
SAINZ ON POLE AT COTA
Carlos Sainz secured the third pole position of his career. This was the first time a Ferrari driver has taken pole at Circuit of The Americas and the first pole for a Ferrari driver at the United States Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher took pole at Indianapolis in 2006.
With Sainz taking pole at COTA and Charles Leclerc having taken pole at the Miami Grand Prix earlier in the year, Ferrari are the first team to take two pole positions in the United States in a single season since they did so themselves in 1983.
Sainz secured pole by 0.061 seconds – the third smallest pole margin seen at Circuit of The Americas.
This was the first time Sainz qualified in the top five at the United States Grand Prix. His previous best Saturday result at COTA was sixth, recorded in 2021.
In total, this was the 15th time that a Ferrari driver has taken pole position in the United States.
IN THE TOP 10
Following a grid penalty for Charles Leclerc, who qualified second, Max Verstappen lines up alongside Carlos Sainz on the front row. That makes this the 12th race in a row at which a team has not locked out the front row. It continues the longest streak without a front row lock out in over 17 years.
With fifth place, Lewis Hamilton equalled his worst ever qualifying result at Circuit of The Americas. This was the third time he’s qualified fifth at the track, having also done so in 2013 and 2019.
With Hamilton fifth and George Russell sixth, this was the first time that neither Mercedes driver qualified on the front row at the United States Grand Prix since 2013.
Lance Stroll qualified in seventh place, reaching Q3 for the third time this season. Seventh place is Stroll’s best qualifying result since he took pole position at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix.
This was the first time that Stroll has reached Q3 at the United States Grand Prix.
Stroll’s Q3 appearance was the first time that the Silverstone-based team has reached the final part of qualifying at the United States Grand Prix since 2018, when both Racing Point drivers qualified in the top ten.
Lando Norris qualified eighth for the third time in his three United States Grand Prix appearances. This was the first time Norris has out-qualified a team-mate at COTA.
Fernando Alonso appeared in Q3 at the United States Grand Prix for the first time since 2017.
For the first time since the Hungarian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas qualified in the top ten.
This was only the second time in the last seven COTA races that a driver for the former Sauber team had reached Q3.
OUT IN Q2
With 11th place, Alex Albon equalled Williams’ best qualifying result at the United States Grand Prix since 2016.
With 13th place, Pierre Gasly equalled his worst qualifying result at COTA. He previously qualified 13th in 2018.
This was the fourth time in the last five races that Zhou Guanyu qualified in 14th place. Zhou had set a lap time good enough to join his team-mate in Q3, but it was deleted as he exceeded track limits.
With Gasly 13th and Yuki Tsunoda 15th, this was the first time since 2018 that neither driver for the Red Bull junior team reached Q3 at the United States Grand Prix.
OUT IN Q1
Daniel Ricciardo recorded his third Q1 exit in the last five races. This was his first Q1 elimination at the United States Grand Prix since 2012. It also marked the first time since 2012 that Ricciardo has been out-qualified by his team-mate at Circuit of The Americas.
Esteban Ocon qualified in 18th place, recording his second Q1 elimination in the last three races. This was the Enstone team’s first Q1 exit at the United States Grand Prix since 2016, as well as the Frenchman’s first Q1 exit at the circuit since 2016, when he drove for Manor.
Both Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher were out in Q1, with Haas recording their fourth double Q1 elimination of the season. This is the second year in a row that both Haas cars were eliminated in Q1 at their home event.
This was Magnussen’s fifth Q1 exit in the last six races. It was his third Q1 exit from six United States Grand Prix appearances.
Both Mick Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi maintained their 100% Q1 exit rate at Circuit of The Americas.
For the sixth time in the last eight races, Latifi qualified last.