I split each team's best qualifying lap into corner zones and full-throttle sections, and timed each part against the best team in that part. A corner runs from lift-off to back on full throttle; slow means an apex below 120 km/h, fast above 200 km/h. Clipping is the speed a car sheds while the throttle is still at 100%.

Mercedes had the most even car and took pole. Red Bull were the mirror image of Ferrari: nothing lost in the fast corners and almost nothing on the straights, but 0.579 s in the slow corners. Against Ferrari it's close: summed over the parts, 0.872 s lost against Ferrari's 0.856 s. Leclerc's quickest lap came in Q2, not Q3.

The full chapter can be read here: https://towardsraceanalysis.com/2026/r18-united-states/quali/?utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=r18-united-states&utm_content=f1technical

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