Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the United States Grand Prix, putting him in a strong position to clinch his first world title on Sunday. The Mercedes driver edged out Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds, with Isack Hadjar third. Antonelli, who claimed his first pole since Belgium in July, will become champion if he wins the race in Austin with Lewis Hamilton finishing lower than fourth and George Russell lower than eighth.
Hamilton qualified fifth, while Russell starts sixth. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris line up seventh and eighth. A surprise performance saw Ferraris fade in Q3, with Charles Leclerc 0.232 seconds off the pace.
George Russell was 0.441 seconds behind his teammate after mistakes in the final session. Lando Norris, despite feeling the car was competitive, had his best lap deleted and qualified 13th. The Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson started ninth and tenth, though Lindblad faces a five-place grid penalty.
Fernando Alonso qualified 14th for Aston Martin, describing their pace as a pleasant surprise after a stronger weekend than in Singapore.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing