Kimi Antonelli takes pole position for 2026 United States Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position at the Circuit of the Americas after Ferrari drivers lost dominance in Q3. Max Verstappen starts second and Isack Hadjar takes third, while Gabriel Bortleto faces an 80-place penalty that places him at the back of the grid.
The qualifying shift
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas after the Ferrari drivers, who dominated free practice and early qualifying sessions, suffered a Q3 hammerblow. This result shifts the front row from Ferrari to Mercedes and Red Bull, as Charles Leclerc starts fourth and Lewis Hamilton takes fifth. Max Verstappen lines up in second, followed by Isack Hadjar in third. I find the rapid shift from Ferrari’s dominance to this grid configuration quite jarring.
The Mercedes driver can clinch his first Formula 1 world title this Sunday if he wins the race and both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finish lower than fourth and eighth respectively. George Russell starts sixth, ahead of the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly occupy ninth and tenth. Nico Hulkenberg starts eleventh, while Fernando Alonso starts twelfth and Oliver Bearman starts thirteenth. Max Verstappen enters this weekend in top form after taking back-to-back victories at the Singapore and Bahrain Grands Prix earlier this month. Isack Hadjar started a debate regarding Red Bull and Ferrari, but Verstappen said he has no time for "nonsense". Lando Norris and Max Verstappen both expressed frustration with the track surface, with Norris saying he takes headache pills to deal with the circuit.
Grid penalties and driver updates
The starting grid includes several penalties that significantly alter the field. The talented 22-year-old Brazilian, Gabriel Bortleto, will start the race in Austin, Texas, from the very back of the grid after the FIA issued an 80-place penalty. This follows the fitting of a new ICE, turbocharger, exhaust, MGU-K, and power unit ancillary component in his Audi. Arvid Lindblad starts 14th due to a five-place penalty for moving onto his sixth internal combustion unit. Franco Colapinto drops to 21st because he took a fourth control electronics component in his Alpine, which carries a 10-place penalty.
| Driver | Team | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1 |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 2 |
| Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 3 |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 4 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 5 |
| Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 9 |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 10 |
| Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 14 |
| Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 21 |
| Gabriel Bortleto | Audi | 22 |
Adrian Newey has praised the progress being made at Aston Martin, pointing to a growing sense of optimism and collaboration within the engineering department, though he says its engine partner Honda is still playing catchup. Helmut Marko has also launched a scathing attack on a new book by former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. He rejects the suggestion that he failed to offer condolences following the death of Horner’s first wife while questioning the accuracy of its claims. Lewis Hamilton also noted a mistake from earlier this month, revealing he made a "catastrophic Ferrari error" by ignoring instructions during the Singapore Grand Prix virtual safety car on lap 39, which followed a crash for Lance Stroll. Esteban Ocon starts fifteenth, Lance Stroll starts sixteenth, and Carlos Sainz starts seventeenth. Alex Albon starts eighteenth, while Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas will start nineteenth and twentieth respectively.
