USA: pre-qualifying 2022

Perez has a five place grid penalty for a new engine.

In first practice, Sainz was fastest, two-tenths ahead of Verstappen. Hamilton was a similar margin further back, and then came Stroll, Perez, and Alonso. Russell, Gasly, Norris, and Vettel completed the top 10. Note Leclerc did not drive, his Ferrari was taken by Robert Shwartzman (who was 16th).

Second practice saw Leclerc put his car fastest, seven-tenths ahead of Bottas. However, this session was a test for 2023 prototype tyres so take times with a boulder of salt. Ricciardo was next, then came Sainz, 1.4s off his team mate (but Leclerc, due to sitting out FP1, had been able to use the 2022 tyres, so it’s meaningless really). Schumacher, Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton, Gasly, and Perez round out the top 10.

 

So, one of the best qualifiers only set a time in a session when everyone else had totally different tyres, which is not exactly spiffing for trying to work out pace.

 

In all honesty, I hadn’t expected to bet, but Leclerc is 7 (7.5 with boost) each way to ‘win’ qualifying. He’s been great at it all season and those odds feel too long to me, so I’ve backed that.

 

Qualifying is annoyingly late, 11pm UK time.

Morris Dancer

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