Austin, October 23 (BUS): Sergio Perez topped the final Formula 1 training session ahead of Saturday’s US Grand Prix qualifiers. It was a drama-free session despite an earlier flare-up between championship leader Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen leads Hamilton by six points in the championship and had the third-fastest time on the course as he and Perez showed Red Bull is ready to compete at the Circuit of the Americas.
Hamilton and Mercedes dominated the permanent road track, but Hamilton was only sixth on the speed table before qualifying, according to the Associated Press.
The rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton erupted on Friday in practice when Verstappen flipped his middle finger on the seven-time champion and called him a “stupid idiot” as the two pounced on the starting grid immediately.
Verstappen chasing his first championship. Hamilton has won seven titles, including the last four.
Hamilton has won the COTA United States Grand Prix five times since it opened in 2012. His Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas won in 2019. The race was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Alpine said before training that it had changed the power unit for Fernando Alonso after Friday’s failure. Alonso will start Sunday’s race at the back of the grid.
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