Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. This marks his seventh pole of the current Formula 1 season.
The Mercedes driver outpaced Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds during a competitive qualifying session. Antonelli is now positioned for a potential F1 world championship coronation.
Following his qualifying performance, Antonelli commented on the upcoming race. He acknowledged the challenge from his rivals.
“We got pole, so we will try to win tomorrow. Max has been very quick and Isack did an incredible job, so it won’t be easy. We will try to get a good start and hopefully we lead into Turn 1, then set the pace, even though it will be very tight. Very happy with qualifying. Q3 was very tough with the wind. Very gusty and unpredictable but happy to put it on pole.”
The 20-year-old Italian holds a significant lead in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship standings. He has a mathematical opportunity to clinch his first world title in today’s race.
To secure the championship at COTA, Antonelli must win the Grand Prix. Additionally, Mercedes teammate George Russell needs to finish ninth or lower.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton must also finish fifth or lower for Antonelli to claim the title. Achieving this would make him the youngest-ever F1 world champion.
The current record for the youngest F1 world champion is held by Sebastian Vettel. He was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first title in 2010.
Isack Hadjar qualified third in the second Red Bull car. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton secured fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
Ferrari had demonstrated strong pace throughout all three practice sessions. However, their performance diminished in the crucial Q3 segment of qualifying.
Leclerc and Hamilton finished over two tenths adrift of Antonelli’s pole time. This indicated a drop in pace when it mattered most for the Scuderia.
Ferrari had introduced a significant aerodynamic upgrade package for the United States Grand Prix. This was their final chassis upgrade of the year.
George Russell placed his Mercedes in sixth position. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified seventh, while Lando Norris had his best lap deleted for track limits.
Arvid Lindblad, driving for Racing Bulls, was ninth quickest. He will incur a five-place grid penalty for changing engine components.
His Racing Bulls teammate, Liam Lawson, opted against setting a lap time in Q3. Lawson completed the top ten qualifiers for the United States Grand Prix.
Pierre Gasly missed out on Q3, qualifying 11th for Alpine. The Audi duo of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto followed in 12th and 13th.
Franco Colapinto, driving for Alpine, qualified 14th. He finished ahead of Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin.
Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon were 16th and 17th for Haas. Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin placed 18th.
The Williams pair of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon struggled, qualifying 19th and 20th. Williams has faced challenges with an overweight car this season.
Cadillac, in their debut F1 season, were the slowest on home soil. Sergio Perez outqualified teammate Valtteri Bottas for 21st position.
Gabriel Bortoleto will start today’s race from the back of the grid. This is due to a substantial 60-place penalty for multiple engine component changes.
Franco Colapinto also faces a 10-place grid penalty. He will drop to 21st for the 56-lap race.
The Circuit of the Americas presented challenging conditions during qualifying. Gusty and unpredictable winds affected car stability, as reported by drivers.
The 2026 season has seen Mercedes emerge as a dominant force, with Antonelli leading their championship campaign. Red Bull and Ferrari remain consistent challengers.
Audi and Cadillac are in their inaugural F1 seasons, facing significant development challenges. The race is scheduled for 8 PM UK time today, Sunday, October 25.
