Championship leader Kimi Antonelli claimed his seventh pole of 2026 at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, defeating Max Verstappen in a thrilling qualifying session. Antonelli set a 1m34.035s on his first Q3 run, leading Red Bull's Verstappen and Isack Hadjar by approximately two tenths. This marked Antonelli's first pole since the summer break, denying Verstappen a third consecutive pole.
Charles Leclerc qualified fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth for Ferrari, while George Russell struggled to sixth. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris rounded out the top eight, though Norris lost two spots after a final lap deletion for track limits. Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson helped their team's bid for fifth in the standings, with Lindblad facing a five-place penalty.
Qualifying featured dramatic Q2 battles and a double Williams exit in Q1, where Lando Norris set the fastest time. Despite early challenges, Antonelli's Mercedes dominance highlighted a shift in the season's competitive order at the Circuit of the Americas.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing