F1 United States GP: Antonelli beats Verstappen to pole with Russell only sixth
Autosport • • sports
Key Points:
- Kimi Antonelli secured his seventh pole position of the 2026 season at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, narrowly beating Max Verstappen with a lap time of 1m34.035s.
- Antonelli's pole is his first since the summer break, ending Verstappen's streak and disrupting the weekend's trend favoring Red Bull and Ferrari over Mercedes on the Circuit of the Americas.
- Charles Leclerc led Q2 but qualified fourth, followed by Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton in fifth, with George Russell underperforming in sixth place.
- Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson strategically managed their qualifying runs to minimize penalties, with Lindblad set to start 14th after a five-place grid penalty and Lawson starting ninth.
- Notable eliminations included Alpine's Pierre Gasly missing Q3 by 0.022 seconds and penalties affecting several drivers, including Bortoleto and Colapinto, who will start from the back of the grid due to power unit changes.
