2026 United States GP Qualifying: Antonelli storms to seventh pole of Season

Kimi Antonelli delivered another outstanding qualifying performance at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, securing pole position at the Circuit of The Americas ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar as the Mercedes driver moved one step closer to a potentially historic championship weekend.

The Italian produced a brilliant 1m 34.035s lap during the opening runs of Q3, setting a benchmark that none of his rivals could beat as qualifying reached its conclusion. Verstappen came closest with a 1m 34.214s, finishing just 0.179 seconds behind, while Red Bull team-mate Hadjar claimed an impressive third with a 1m 34.250s, only 0.036s slower than the four-time world champion.

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It marked Antonelli’s seventh pole position of the season and another significant moment in his remarkable 2026 F1 World Championship campaign. With the Mercedes driver carrying the possibility of securing his maiden world title in Austin, his latest qualifying triumph puts him in an ideal position to challenge for victory in Sunday’s race.

2026 United States Grand Prix Qualifying Results

2026 United States Grand Prix Qualifying, 24 October 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:35.390	1:34.278	1:34.035	18
2	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:35.215	1:34.471	1:34.214	12
3	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	1:35.286	1:34.887	1:34.250	12
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:35.200	1:34.198	1:34.267	15
5	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:35.355	1:34.833	1:34.311	14
6	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:35.730	1:34.305	1:34.476	18
7	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:35.842	1:34.818	1:34.803	20
8	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:35.029	1:34.539	1:35.049	15
9	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	1:35.755	1:34.950	1:36.049	15
10	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:35.662	1:35.058		9
11	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:35.969	1:35.080		12
12	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	1:35.704	1:35.158		12
13	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	1:35.632	1:35.691		12
14	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:35.898	1:35.722		12
15	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:36.240	1:35.818		15
16	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:36.175	1:36.031		15
17	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:36.531			9
18	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:36.677			9
19	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:36.770			9
20	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:36.967			9
21	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	1:37.433			9
22	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	1:37.523			9

Antonelli delivers when it matters as Ferrari loses its practice advantage

Mercedes arrived at qualifying facing a tough challenge after Ferrari had dominated the three practice sessions, with Charles Leclerc leading both Friday outings before Lewis Hamilton topped FP3 on Saturday.

However, Antonelli overturned that form when it mattered most, extracting the maximum from his Mercedes during the decisive Q3 runs to establish an advantage that would ultimately secure pole position.

The championship leader’s opening effort of 1m 34.035s immediately put his rivals under pressure, with neither Verstappen nor the Ferrari drivers able to find enough improvement during their final attempts.

Verstappen secured second place with a 1m 34.214s, maintaining Red Bull’s competitive form throughout the weekend, while Hadjar produced one of the standout performances of the session to secure third.

The Frenchman finished just 0.036s behind his team-mate and edged Ferrari’s Leclerc by an incredibly narrow 0.017s, highlighting how closely matched the leading cars were around the 5.513-kilometre Austin circuit.

Leclerc had to settle for fourth with a 1m 34.267s, despite looking like a genuine pole contender after his strong practice performances. Hamilton completed the top five with a 1m 34.311s, leaving Ferrari unable to convert its Friday and Saturday morning pace into a front-row starting position.

Just 0.276s separated Antonelli and Hamilton across the leading five drivers, underlining the intensity of the battle at the front as the championship enters its closing stages.

Russell frustrated as track limits prove costly for Norris

While Antonelli celebrated another pole position, Mercedes team-mate George Russell endured a more disappointing qualifying session.

The British driver could manage only sixth with a 1m 34.476s lap, finishing 0.441s behind Antonelli and leaving himself with significant work to do in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

McLaren also experienced a frustrating afternoon, with Oscar Piastri qualifying seventh ahead of team-mate Lando Norris in eighth.

Norris had appeared capable of securing a stronger position, but his qualifying hopes suffered a significant setback when his lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits.

The infringement dropped the British driver to eighth in the classification, allowing Piastri to move ahead as McLaren’s difficult weekend continued.

Track limits had already been a persistent problem throughout practice, with drivers repeatedly having times removed for running beyond the white lines. The issue remained an important factor during qualifying, where even a minor mistake could have a major impact on the starting order.

Racing Bulls enjoyed a productive session, with rookie Arvid Lindblad qualifying ninth and team-mate Liam Lawson completing the top 10.

However, Lindblad’s impressive performance came with a setback, as the British driver faces a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his permitted allocation of internal combustion engine components.

Lawson’s progression into Q3 was another encouraging result for Racing Bulls, although the New Zealander did not record a timed lap in the final segment.

Gasly narrowly misses Q3 as Audi’s qualifying strategy falls short

The battle to reach the final part of qualifying was equally competitive, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly narrowly missing out on a place in the top 10.

The Frenchman finished 11th, just 0.022s short of progressing into Q3, bringing an end to his hopes of fighting for a stronger qualifying position.

However, Lindblad’s five-place penalty is set to move Gasly into the top 10 on the starting grid, offering Alpine an improved opportunity heading into Sunday’s race.

Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg qualified 12th, ahead of team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto in 13th, as the German manufacturer’s attempts to use slipstream assistance failed to deliver the desired result.

The team had experimented with a towing strategy to help maximise its straight-line performance, but neither driver managed to advance into Q3.

Bortoleto also faces a difficult Sunday after taking additional power unit components, resulting in a grid penalty that will push him further down the starting order.

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto qualified 14th, although the Argentine will lose 10 grid positions after taking a new control electronics unit.

That penalty will benefit several drivers behind him, including Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, who originally qualified 15th and 16th respectively.

With multiple penalties affecting drivers throughout the midfield and lower order, the final starting grid will look noticeably different from the qualifying classification.

Williams suffers another setback as Cadillac completes the order

The opening segment of qualifying proved particularly challenging for several teams, with Haas driver Esteban Ocon unable to find the improvement needed to progress into Q2.

The Frenchman was eliminated in 17th, ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in 18th, while Williams endured another difficult afternoon with both cars knocked out at the first hurdle.

Carlos Sainz qualified 19th, marking his worst qualifying performance at the Circuit of The Americas since his rookie Formula 1 season, while team-mate Alex Albon finished 20th.

It continued a disappointing weekend for Williams, which had already struggled for outright pace throughout Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions.

Cadillac rounded out the qualifying classification on home soil, with Sergio Perez securing 21st ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas in 22nd.

However, both Cadillac drivers are expected to gain positions once the grid penalties for Colapinto and Bortoleto are applied, offering the American team a slightly more favourable starting point for its home Grand Prix.

Championship leader takes pole with Verstappen ready to attack

Antonelli’s latest pole position strengthens his position heading into one of the most important races of his young Formula 1 career.

The Italian has now secured seven pole positions during an extraordinary 2026 campaign and will start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the front of the field, with the possibility of becoming world champion adding another layer of significance to the weekend.

However, the threat from Red Bull is clear, with Verstappen and Hadjar occupying second and third in the qualifying order and placing both cars directly behind the Mercedes driver.

Ferrari will also be determined to turn its encouraging practice pace into a strong race result, with Leclerc and Hamilton starting from fourth and fifth before penalties elsewhere are applied.

With only 0.276s covering the top five, and a demanding 56-lap race awaiting the field, outright speed alone may not be enough to decide the outcome.

Tyre management, strategy and the long uphill approach to Turn 1 could all prove crucial as Antonelli prepares to defend his advantage against a closely matched group of rivals.