Kimi Antonelli secured a surprise pole position at the 2026 United States Grand Prix qualifying session, delivering a lap that Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff described as a “miracle lap.” The young driver set the fastest time at the Circuit of The Americas with a 1m 34.035s in Q3, marking his seventh pole of the season and his first since the Belgian Grand Prix.
Antonelli’s performance stood out notably as his Mercedes teammate George Russell qualified sixth, more than four-tenths of a second behind. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing secured second place, unable to improve his time in the final phase of qualifying. Meanwhile, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc topped the earlier Q1 and Q2 sessions respectively but could not maintain their pace in Q3.
Mercedes had introduced a significant upgrade package two races earlier in Malaysia, which initially did not meet expectations. However, the improvements appeared to have a positive effect at COTA, contributing to Antonelli’s remarkable qualifying lap. Despite this, Wolff expressed some uncertainty about how the lap was achieved, emphasizing the exceptional nature of the performance.
Looking ahead, Wolff noted that while the car showed strong qualifying pace, it might not be as competitive in race conditions compared to Ferrari and Red Bull. He highlighted the importance of collecting points to support Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship. The session underlined the ongoing challenges teams face in balancing qualifying speed with race performance.
Antonelli’s pole position adds an interesting dynamic to the grid, especially given the mixed results among the top teams during qualifying. Verstappen’s inability to improve in Q3 kept him just behind Antonelli, while other front runners like Norris and Leclerc showed early promise but fell back when it counted most.
Wolff’s reaction to Antonelli’s lap reflects the unpredictable nature of qualifying in the current Formula 1® season, where driver skill and car upgrades can combine to produce unexpected outcomes. The Mercedes upgrade package, while initially underwhelming, seems to have found some effectiveness at this venue, though its impact on race day remains to be seen.
This qualifying session at the United States Grand Prix highlighted the fine margins and occasional surprises that continue to shape the championship. Wolff’s comments underline the complexity of extracting maximum performance, and Antonelli’s lap stands as a notable achievement in this context.