Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the 2026 United States Grand Prix, delivering a commanding qualifying performance at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, October 24 (Sunday, Philippine time). The 20-year-old Italian recorded a fastest lap of 1 minute and 34.035 seconds, beating four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.179 seconds. Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar completed the top three with a career-best qualifying result, while Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth, respectively. The result marked Antonelli’s seventh pole position of the season and strengthened his chances of securing his first Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
Antonelli entered the weekend holding a 102-point championship advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who qualified sixth. Despite changing wind conditions and an increasingly challenging track, the Italian delivered his decisive lap early in the final qualifying session, with his rivals unable to match his pace. Verstappen remained his closest challenger, while Hadjar’s third-place finish gave Red Bull two cars among the leading three qualifiers. Ferrari, which had shown promising speed during Friday’s practice sessions, was unable to challenge for pole, leaving Leclerc and Hamilton to pursue podium positions from the second and third rows. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified seventh and eighth.
The race on Sunday, October 25, presents Antonelli with an opportunity to become the youngest drivers’ world champion in Formula 1 history and the first Italian to claim the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953. To secure the championship in Austin, Antonelli must win the race while Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton places fifth or lower. Although the Mercedes driver begins from the strongest possible position, Verstappen’s recent victories and Red Bull’s competitive pace leave the outcome uncertain. With the championship potentially on the line, Antonelli will attempt to convert his seventh pole of the season into a victory that could establish a new milestone in Formula 1 history.
Image from Angela Weiss