Rival Perez takes pole
Because Leclerc is leaving, Verstappen now has a problem
05/06/2023, 11:19 p.m
In qualifying for the US Grand Prix, Max Verstappen takes a hard hit in the fight for the world title: Because Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc flies off, the world champion can no longer counter the strong lap of his rival Sergio Perez. Now there is a catching up to do.
Sergio Perez secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix and significantly increased the pressure on Max Verstappen – because the world champion only starts from ninth place in the race on Sunday (9:30 p.m. CEST / Sky and in the live ticker on ntv.de). Perez is just six points behind teammate Verstappen going into race five of the season. “Of course I want to win the title – but Max wants that too,” the Mexican said after his triumphs at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. In Baku, the 33-year-old won both the Grand Prix and the Sprint. “We’re going to fight each other as hard as we can but I think with a high level of respect,” Perez said.
In the decisive part of qualifying, Verstappen initially spoiled the first fast lap due to a driving error. He was not granted a second because the session ended prematurely due to an accident involving Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. Perez, on the other hand, showed a strong first lap, he turned the fastest lap in 1:26.841 minutes and thus has a good chance of taking the championship lead for the first time. With a win on Sunday he would be at the top, currently he is six points behind Verstappen.
Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin and Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz start from second and third place behind Perez. Kevin Magnussen in the Haas used the confusion for a very strong fourth place on the grid. His team-mate Nico Hülkenberg also had very good chances of making the top 10, but he braked badly in the second part of qualifying and lost crucial tenths, ultimately it was enough for 12th place on the grid.
It’s already been a disappointing weekend for Mercedes. George Russell made it into the last qualifying segment and ended up sixth, record world champion Lewis Hamilton struggled with 13th place.
Perez had won the sprint and the Grand Prix in Baku last weekend and could now follow suit, but the training sessions in Miami did not look like that. Verstappen’s performances were sovereign, that also applied to the qualification – until his driving mistake put him in a bad position. The weather may cause a few uncertainties for everyone involved: there could be rain before the start.