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Ferrari looked on track to challenge for pole position at the United States Grand Prix but it collapsed in the final qualifying session.
New upgrades brought by Ferrari appeared to be working just as planned when Charles Leclerc topped practice on Friday.
But it was Kimi Antonelli who claimed pole position in qualifying while both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton suffered a significant drop in pace for Q3.
Ferrari, as expected, looked quick in both Q1 and Q2 and were well on track to challenge for pole position.
During Q1, McLaren CEO Zak Brown spoke over the radio to Sky Sports and ruled out his drivers challenging at the top of the time sheets.
That is because, in Brown’s words: “It looks like the Ferraris are in a league of their own”.
And they did look to be clear of the pack in terms of raw pace around the Circuit of the Americas. Leclerc in particular looked competitive and likely to challenge for his first pole position of the season.
But it all fell apart in the final laps of the session, with both Leclerc and Hamilton suddenly falling behind Red Bull and Mercedes.
On commentary, Martin Brundle pointed out that Ferrari’s pace appeared to “evaporate” in the final session.
Not only did Leclerc and Hamilton fail to secure pole, but neither will start on the front row either.
Leclerc will start in P4, while Hamilton will start just behind him in P5.
In the head-to-head record, Leclerc now leads Hamilton in qualifying by 10-8.