Antonelli takes US Grand Prix pole with title in reach
publishers 16articles 21first reported 21 Oct, 03:00 UTCdeveloping since 21 Oct · 11 editions
Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the 2026 United States Grand Prix, putting the Mercedes driver in position to clinch his first Formula One world championship in Austin.
The 20-year-old Italian recorded a lap of 1 minute, 34.035 seconds at the Circuit of the Americas, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds. Isack Hadjar qualified third in the second Red Bull, followed by Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes teammate George Russell will start sixth, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri seventh and Lando Norris eighth. Ferrari had led all three practice sessions but could not convert that pace into pole position.
Antonelli enters the race with a 102-point championship lead and 150 points available over the remaining six rounds, including Austin. To secure the title on Sunday, he must win and have other results fall in his favor, including Russell and Hamilton finishing far enough down the order. Five rounds and 125 points will remain after the race.
If Antonelli clinches the championship in Austin, he will become Formula One’s youngest world champion. Verstappen, a four-time champion who has won the past two races, will start alongside him on the front row.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 102 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 16
- Source articles
- 21
- Given to the writer
- 8, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 102 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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