US Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli takes Austin pole on weekend he can win F1 title
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the United States Grand Prix, beating Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds, putting him in a strong position to potentially clinch his first world title on Sunday.
- Antonelli will become world champion if he wins the race with Lewis Hamilton finishing lower than fourth and George Russell lower than eighth; Hamilton qualified fifth and Russell sixth.
- Despite strong practice sessions from Ferrari and Red Bull, Antonelli's Mercedes outperformed expectations, while Verstappen struggled with grip in the final qualifying session.
- Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth and fifth respectively, with Leclerc citing tyre difficulties as a factor in losing pace during Q3.
- Aston Martin showed improvement with Fernando Alonso qualifying 14th and moving up to 12th after penalties affected other drivers, while McLaren's Lando Norris was disappointed after having his best lap deleted for track limits.
