Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix with a superb lap at the Circuit of the Americas, beating Max Verstappen as Ferrari failed to convert its impressive practice form into a top-three qualifying result. The Mercedes driver secured his seventh pole position of the season with a time of 1:34.035, while Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fourth and fifth on the starting grid.
After the three free practice sessions, Kimi Antonelli had appeared to be something of an outsider for pole position. However, the Italian delivered an exceptional lap when it mattered most, overcoming Max Verstappen, who was unable to produce a flawless performance in Q3 and finished second. Ferrari, meanwhile, could not reproduce the advantage it had demonstrated throughout practice, leaving both SF-26 cars outside the top three.
United States GP qualifying Q1: Lando Norris fastest as Ferrari and Red Bull challenge
The eighteenth qualifying session of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship began after a weekend in which Ferrari had topped all three free practice sessions. Charles Leclerc set the pace in FP1 and FP2, while Lewis Hamilton finished fastest in FP3, reinforcing the impression that the Maranello team could challenge for pole position at Austin.
However, Max Verstappen remained a major contender after arriving at the United States Grand Prix on the back of two consecutive victories. The Red Bull driver was targeting a third successive win and had once again demonstrated a strong connection with his car.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was another driver to watch. The Italian faced his first opportunity to secure the world title, although Mercedes had not yet demonstrated the same level of performance as Ferrari and Red Bull during practice. Nevertheless, the German team’s tendency to make a significant improvement in qualifying meant its potential could not be underestimated.
Q1 began with Ferrari continuing where it had left off in free practice. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton immediately established competitive lap times on their first runs using soft tyres, putting the two red cars at the front of the classification.
Red Bull soon joined the fight, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar moving between the Ferrari drivers. Kimi Antonelli initially recorded the fifth-fastest time on medium tyres, while his Mercedes teammate George Russell made the same compound choice. Oscar Piastri also used mediums in the McLaren.
Unhappy with his initial lap time, Oscar Piastri returned to the circuit for another run with just over two minutes remaining in Q1. Although already in a safe position, Lando Norris also decided to complete another attempt during the closing stages.
The British McLaren driver made the most of his final run, setting the fastest time of Q1 ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. Further down the order, Fernando Alonso secured a place in Q2, while Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Alexander Albon, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated.
United States GP qualifying Q2: Charles Leclerc leads Mercedes as Max Verstappen impresses on used tyres
Max Verstappen began Q2 strongly, recording the fastest provisional lap ahead of Lando Norris. The McLaren driver maintained his impressive Q1 form, finishing just six hundredths of a second behind the Dutchman.
What made Max Verstappen’s performance particularly significant was his choice of tyres. The four-time world champion completed his lap on a used set of softs, demonstrating strong pace without needing fresh rubber.
Isack Hadjar and both Ferrari drivers also opted for used tyres during the opening runs, with the two SF-26 cars provisionally fifth and seventh. Max Verstappen’s performance strengthened his position as a pole contender, and the Red Bull driver remained in the garage after his first attempt.
For the second runs, Charles Leclerc returned to the circuit on fresh tyres and immediately moved to the top of the classification. The Monegasque finished ahead of the Mercedes cars of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, providing further encouragement for Ferrari after its strong showing throughout practice.
The fight for the remaining Q3 places was particularly intense among the midfield teams. Racing Bulls succeeded in progressing with both drivers, while several competitors were unable to find the improvements needed to advance.
Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, Fernando Alonso and Oliver Bearman were eliminated at the end of Q2. Oliver Bearman’s final lap was deleted for exceeding track limits, although the time would not have been sufficient to secure a place in Q3 even without the infringement.
United States GP qualifying Q3: Kimi Antonelli takes pole ahead of Max Verstappen
The final qualifying session produced a significant change in the competitive order. Kimi Antonelli immediately delivered an outstanding lap on his first attempt, moving ahead of Max Verstappen, who was unable to match the impressive performance he had demonstrated during Q1 and Q2.
Max Verstappen reported over team radio that he was not experiencing ideal grip levels, leaving the Red Bull driver unable to extract the performance he wanted from his car. Ferrari also made an underwhelming start to Q3, with Charles Leclerc provisionally fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth after their opening attempts.
Despite the final runs, the order at the very front remained unchanged. Kimi Antonelli secured pole position in Austin with a lap of 1:34.035, finishing 0.179 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen. The Italian’s decisive performance delivered his seventh pole of the 2026 season and strengthened his position ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
Isack Hadjar completed the top three after making a significant improvement between free practice and qualifying. The Red Bull driver secured third position on the starting grid, ahead of both Ferrari cars.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth, while Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth. Both drivers were more than three tenths of a second slower than the pole-position time, a disappointing outcome considering Ferrari’s impressive performances during all three practice sessions. The contrast with Friday’s pace was particularly notable after Charles Leclerc had demonstrated the SF-26’s competitiveness by topping FP2 at Austin.
George Russell could manage only sixth position, finishing almost four and a half tenths behind Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. The result underlined the strength of the Italian’s qualifying performance, particularly considering the gap between the two Mercedes drivers.
McLaren also endured a difficult Q3 compared with its earlier performance, with Oscar Piastri qualifying seventh and Lando Norris eighth. The two Racing Bulls drivers completed the top ten, with Arvid Lindblad ninth and Liam Lawson tenth.
Liam Lawson made the unusual decision not to complete a flying lap in Q3. The New Zealander’s choice had two objectives: preserving a fresh set of soft tyres and allowing his teammate to finish one position ahead in the qualifying classification. Arvid Lindblad was due to serve a five-place grid penalty, making the additional qualifying position potentially relevant to his final starting place.
Ferrari misses Austin pole opportunity despite dominating practice
Ferrari’s fourth and fifth positions represented a setback after a weekend in which the SF-26 had looked highly competitive. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had taken turns setting the fastest practice times, but neither driver could produce the lap needed to challenge Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen or Isack Hadjar in the final qualifying session.
The qualifying outcome also highlighted the considerable improvement made by Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli had not appeared to be the strongest favourite after practice, yet his outstanding Q3 lap proved decisive. Max Verstappen remained his closest challenger, although the Red Bull driver was unable to improve on his final attempt.
For Ferrari, attention now turns to Sunday’s United States Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will line up fourth and fifth, with the challenge of converting the promising pace demonstrated throughout the weekend into a competitive race result.
The differences between the drivers’ performances in Q1, Q2 and Q3 can also be examined using the F1 Qualifying Pace & Sector Comparison, which provides qualifying lap-time, sector and performance comparisons.
With Kimi Antonelli starting from pole position, Max Verstappen alongside him and Isack Hadjar third, Ferrari faces an important challenge at the Circuit of the Americas. The complete United States Grand Prix programme and race information are available in the 2026 United States GP schedule and COTA guide.
Leave a Reply