Kimi Antonelli takes pole at United States Grand Prix
sportsOct 24, 202654162
Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds. Mercedes team-mate Isack Hadjar was third, just 0.036 seconds behind Verstappen, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth. The 20-year-old Italian claimed his first pole since the Belgian Grand Prix in July and celebrated with the line "It feels good to be back." Antonelli can clinch the world title on Sunday if he wins in Austin with Hamilton lower than fourth and George Russell lower than eighth; Hamilton already qualified fifth and Russell will start sixth. Antonelli's engineer Peter Bonnington said he had not expected pole after the first Q3 runs, while Verstappen blamed a lack of grip in Q3. Liam Lawson will be dropped five places for exceeding engine parts limits, and Fernando Alonso moves up to start 12th after penalties to Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, and Arvid Lindblad affected the grid.
