Max Verstappen will head the field for the start of tomorrow's Sprint Race.

The three-time world champion is thus back on top in a qualifying session for the first time since the Belgian Grand Prix, when the fastest time did not secure him pole position for the race as he had to take a previously imposed penalty. The last time the Dutchman did actually start from the top slot on the grid dates back to the Austrian Grand Prix, when he secured pole on Friday in Sprint Qualifying and again on Saturday in qualifying for the main event.

There will be four different teams represented on the front two rows of the grid, covered by just two and a half tenths, further confirmation of how closely contested is this season. The Red Bull driver secured his eighth Sprint qualifying pole in a time of 1'32"833, 12 thousandths quicker than second placed George Russell in the Mercedes (1'32"845). The second row is made up of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari (1'33"059) and Land Norris in the McLaren (1'33"083).

The only free practice session of the weekend saw almost all drivers use the hardest compound available for this Grand Prix, the C2. The only exceptions were the two Saubers, with Valtteri Bottas using the Medium and the Soft, while Guanyu Zhou concentrated on the C4. The other 18 drivers did not use the C3 at all, starting the session on the Hard before switching to the Soft. As per the regulations for Sprint Qualifying, the Medium must be used for Q1 and Q2 with the Soft coming into play for Q3.

Verstappen was presented with the Pirelli Sprint Qualifying Award by Germany's Leo Neugebauer, the multi-disciplined athlete, who won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics in the decathlon. He is also his country's record holder in this discipline, as well as being the indoor heptathlon champion. Handmade in Italy, the trophy consists of a square of FSC certified natural rubber, enclosed between two pieces of glass on which is etched the layout of the Circuit of the Americas and the FSC logo, a stylised tree. The same rubber is part of the raw materials used in the manufacture of all the Pirelli P Zero Formula 1 tyres, complying with the environmental and social sustainability criteria defined by the forestry management non-governmental organisation.

Simone Berra: "A Friday which saw lap times clearly quicker than those from last year at this track and also lower than the simulations going into the event based on the average of data received by Pirelli from the ten teams. In fact, today's pole was also two seconds quicker than last year's (1'34"723) and a little over seven tenths faster than the predicted time of 1'33"600.

"With the same tyres as last year, several factors contributed to the significant reduction in lap time, apart from the normal evolution of the cars: the resurfaced track offered more grip, there was a marked reduction in the number of bumps, which meant the teams could lower the car's height to the ground, while temperatures were also cooler than last year's.

"As for the difference in performance between the compounds, an initial analysis would suggest that they are pretty much in line with our predictions, even if it has to be said that, particularly in Q3, it wasn't easy for the drivers to get all the potential out of the softest compound, partly because of the gusts of wind, which at times got close to 30 km/h.

"Tomorrow, we expect that, as was the case in 2023, the Medium will be the absolute favourite (last year only Sainz used the Soft). On Sunday too, the C3 will be the most used tyre, which explains why in today's free practice, with the exception of the Sauber duo, all drivers used at least one set of Hards. In a race where the quickest strategy is a two-stop, with the Soft apparently not a valid option, it's clear that the Medium will rule the roost."

Check out our Friday gallery from COTA here.