Kimi Antonelli secured a surprising pole position at the 2026 United States Grand Prix qualifying session held at the Circuit of The Americas. His lap time of 1:34.035 caught many off guard, including Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, as it marked a notable performance ahead of the race weekend.
The qualifying session saw Mercedes adopting a strategic approach, with both Antonelli and George Russell running on medium tyres during Q1 to conserve their soft tyres for the race. Russell qualified in sixth place, while Antonelli’s pace was strong enough to claim the top spot on the grid. Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen took second, despite running wide on his final flying lap, and his teammate Isack Hadjar recovered well from earlier difficulties to secure third.
Ferrari had dominated all practice sessions leading up to qualifying, but their race pace did not fully translate into the session, with Charles Leclerc qualifying fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth. Both drivers acknowledged the challenge of matching Antonelli’s pace but remained optimistic about their prospects. McLaren faced handling difficulties, resulting in Lando Norris qualifying eighth after losing his best Q3 lap due to track limits, and Oscar Piastri qualifying seventh.
The Racing Bulls team had both drivers in Q3, with Liam Lawson opting not to run in the final session to save tyres, starting tenth on the grid. Arvid Lindblad qualified ninth but will start 14th due to a grid penalty. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly narrowly missed out on Q3 but will start tenth after Lindblad’s penalty was applied, while teammate Franco Colapinto begins at the back of the grid following his own penalty. Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg also missed Q3 by a narrow margin but starts 11th after penalty adjustments, with Gabriel Bortoleto starting from the rear due to power unit penalties.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso reached Q2 and will start 12th after penalties, whereas Lance Stroll did not progress beyond Q1. Haas’ Oliver Bearman made it to Q2 but lost his final lap to track limits, and Esteban Ocon was eliminated in Q1. Williams struggled throughout the weekend, with Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon both eliminated in Q1, starting 19th and 20th respectively. Cadillac drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas also failed to advance past Q1, lining up 21st and 22nd on the grid.
Pirelli’s Motorsport Director indicated that a one-stop strategy using soft and medium tyres is expected to be the most effective approach for the race, with tyre degradation and track conditions playing significant roles in strategy decisions. The session highlighted the importance of tyre management and how teams are preparing for the challenges posed by the Circuit of The Americas.
The comments and results following qualifying at the United States Grand Prix provide a clear snapshot of the competitive order at this stage of the weekend. Antonelli’s pole position was a standout moment, while other teams and drivers showed mixed fortunes influenced by tyre choices, penalties, and track limits. The session underlined the fine margins that separate drivers and teams in qualifying performance ahead of the race.