Kimi Antonelli Takes Pole for United States Grand Prix

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the 2026 United States Grand Prix after setting the fastest lap in qualifying at the Circuit of The Americas. His 1:34.035 effort in Q3 secured the top spot ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, strengthening his position ahead of a weekend in which he could be crowned World Champion.

Verstappen finished second with a 1:34.214 lap, 0.179 seconds behind Antonelli. Hadjar took third in 1:34.250, narrowly ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who recorded 1:34.267. Lewis Hamilton completed the top five with a 1:34.311 lap.

George Russell qualified sixth for Mercedes, followed by McLaren's Oscar Piastri in seventh. Lando Norris initially qualified ahead of Piastri, but officials deleted his lap time for exceeding track limits, dropping him to eighth. Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top 10, although Lindblad faces a five-place grid penalty for exceeding the permitted internal combustion engine allocation.

Antonelli's opening Q3 lap proved decisive because none of his rivals managed to improve enough to displace him before the session ended. Track limits remained a significant factor throughout qualifying, with several drivers losing lap times during the three-session contest.

Norris led the opening qualifying segment, Q1, after posting a lap that put him 0.171 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Earlier, Leclerc had established Ferrari's initial benchmark at 1:35.200, while drivers on soft tires generally held a substantial advantage over those using medium compounds.

Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated in Q1. Albon questioned Williams' decision to send him onto the track early, saying, "so early" in frustration over the team's timing.

In Q2, Verstappen initially set the pace with a 1:34.471 lap, narrowly ahead of Norris. Leclerc later moved to the top of the timing sheets, while Antonelli and Russell also advanced. Audi's attempt to improve Nico Hulkenberg's prospects by using Gabriel Bortoleto to provide a tow failed to deliver the intended result.

Pierre Gasly missed the top 10 by just 0.022 seconds, finishing 11th. Hulkenberg and Bortoleto qualified behind him, followed by Franco Colapinto in 14th. Fernando Alonso and Ollie Bearman initially finished 15th and 16th, respectively, while Ocon ended the session in 17th.

Colapinto faces a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new control electronics unit. Bortoleto will also receive a grid penalty for changing multiple power unit components, allowing Perez and Bottas to gain positions from their original qualifying results of 21st and 22nd.

Sainz recorded his worst qualifying result at the Circuit of The Americas since his rookie season, finishing ahead of Albon in the eliminated group. Cadillac's Perez and Bottas occupied the final two positions before the expected grid adjustments, while the penalties will alter the starting order for the race.