United States – Qualifying: Vettel and Red Bull above the rest

Before the qualifiers, the conditions are good in Austin, it’s sunny, 30°C on the track and 26°C in the air; the wind is quite strong, but the drivers have been able to get used to it during the various practice sessions.

Q1: The Marussia drivers are the first to head out on the track as soon as the light turns green at the end of the pit lane. Bianchi and Chilton are quickly followed by many drivers, most of whom are on hard tires. The Briton is the first to set a time, with 1:47.022, but this fastest lap is quickly beaten by Paul di Resta, Valtteri Bottas, and Nico Hülkenberg, among others.

While many drivers are on track, an incident occurs between Esteban Gutiérrez and Pastor Maldonado in the last corner. While the Red Bulls once again seem to be favorites, Vettel and Webber wait in their pits as their rivals clock laps on the track.

When Vettel and Webber go out to perform, it is the Australian who shows himself to be the faster of the two after their respective first laps, but by only a few thousandths. Ultimately, it is Valtteri Bottas in the final moments who sets the fastest time in Q1, while Adrian Sutil has to stop his Force India at the side of the track due to a problem.

Bad qualification for the German who is eliminated, just like Pastor Maldonado driving his Williams – a stark contrast to Bottas who is in the lead. It’s not much better for the Ferraris, which are 15th and 16th. A great performance by Esteban Gutiérrez as well and the Red Bulls who are saving a set of medium tires. Among the smaller teams, Giedo van der Garde is ahead of Bianchi, Pic, and Chilton.

Eliminated in Q1: Sutil, Maldonado, Van der Garde, Bianchi, Pic and Chilton

Q2: Vergne is the first man to take the track on mediums. The Frenchman is followed by his teammate at Toro Rosso, Daniel Ricciardo, and many other drivers. Vergne is therefore the first to set a time, at 1:38.696, faster than Ricciardo, but Lewis Hamilton does better with 1:38.104 to take the lead.

The times are quite tight behind the Mercedes driver, with Pérez, di Resta, and Bottas also in 1:38.1. Grosjean significantly improves with a 1:37.523 but Webber does even better, yet the final word goes to Sebastian Vettel with a 1:37.065.

Many drivers are improving as everyone is on track, making positions highly contested. Vergne doesn’t do better than 16th, and he is eliminated along with some surprise drivers, including Button, Rosberg, and Massa. Heikki Kovalainen, however, manages to reach Q3 for his return to F1 with Lotus. It’s also a good surprise for Gutiérrez and Bottas who are in Q3.

Eliminated in Q2: Ricciardo, di Resta, Button, Rosberg, Massa, Vergne

Q3: Pérez is the first to hit the track followed by Bottas and Webber as soon as the light turns green. Vettel and the Lotus drivers follow while Alonso, Hamilton, and the Sauber drivers remain in the pits.

1:38.074 for Pérez as his first time, 34 thousandths slower than his best time in Q2. Webber significantly improves on this with a 1:36.699, capturing the best times in all three sectors. Grosjean is more than a second behind the Australian, and Vettel is just over a tenth behind his teammate. Kovalainen is 5th, 0.2 seconds from Grosjean after the first stint. Bottas, on the other hand, has not set a timed lap.

For the second part of Q3, everyone is on track. Hamilton takes a first slow lap, at 1:52.771, same for Hülkenberg at 1:40 as Bottas takes 3rd place for his first timed lap.

For the pole position, Webber sets the fastest times in the first two sectors and improves his provisional pole with a time of 1:36.441. But Vettel does even better with the best time in the last sector, beating Webber by 103 thousandths, and the German takes the pole for a 100% Red Bull front row once again.

Romain Grosjean is the best of the rest in 3rd position ahead of Nico Hülkenberg, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Gutiérrez, Heikki Kovalainen, Valtteri Bottas, and Esteban Gutiérrez who closes the top 10.

Vettel, meanwhile, secures the 44th pole position of his career, at 26 years old.

Qualifying standings of the 2013 United States Grand Prix: