Carlos Sainz marks a very tight 'pole' and will fight with Verstappen for the victory

• Starting grid Classification and times

• Alex Palou Illusion after his debut with McLaren: "This car is crazy"

In the previous hours he had shown his preferences for the remainder of the World Cup, where he prefers more victories to the consolation of third or fourth place in the table.

, used to closing each year at his best level, took the first step this Friday in Austin to make his wish come true.

Setting the

time (1:34.356), 65 thousandths ahead of

and 92 over

, also gives him a little revenge.

For once, after so many disappointments, those almost negligible margins fell on his side.

"I knew it would come," said Sainz on the radio, with his traditional phlegm, when

, his track engineer, confirmed the good news.

Anyone would say that he had not suffered to bring the Ferrari to heel during his amazing last sector, completely dyed purple.

Or that he is more accustomed to these joys on Saturdays.

It is, however, the third

of his life.

At the beginning of July, in the rain at Silverstone, he knew how to capitalize on it in victory.

Almost two months later, after Verstappen was penalized at Spa, he was only able to save a podium finish due to a car without the necessary

.

"I'm not going to lie. Red Bull is still the favorite for tomorrow, because they usually have better race pace, but we will do everything possible to stay ahead," said a chastened Sainz.

Of course, Verstappen has tricks up his sleeve.

And of course, the 36ºC of the Texan autumn do not exactly favor Ferrari's degradation problems.

The heat and the degradation of the rubbers

However, a couple of facts are enough to fuel hope: since his break into the World Championship in 2012, five of the nine

reached the checkered flag at the Circuit of the Americas.

And no one won without starting from the front line.

Likewise, Leclerc's engine change, with the consequent penalty up to twelfth place, will avoid headaches in that furious ascent towards the first corner.

So Sainz will have to combine ambition and pragmatism to contain the onslaught of the brand new two-time champion.

In a similar way to how he navigated during a suffocating Saturday, where he already in Q1 gave the first knock: a 1: 35.297, half a second over Leclerc and a bit more against Verstappen.

As early as the elimination of

and

, stubborn in taking the pulse between McLaren and Alpine personally.

Alonso, fourteenth after the sanction

It will not be easy for the French team to save the day in Austin, given that

will start ninth, just behind

.

More was expected from the man from Oviedo, who could only stop the clock in 1:35.876, 1.5 seconds off the lead.

's Aston Martin either

.

"We have more race pace than we showed today," Alonso warned.

Friday's penalty, for changing the internal combustion engine (ICE), delays the Spaniard to fourteenth place on the grid.

"A little with the foot changed", acknowledged Fernando, who could chase two or three points with his proverbial cunning.

There is no room for much this Sunday in Texas.

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• Max Verstappen

• Fernando Alonso

• Carlos Sainz Jr.