Kimi Antonelli will start the 2026 United States Grand Prix from pole position after setting the fastest time in qualifying at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday, 24 October local time. The Mercedes driver’s 1:34.035 lap put him 0.179 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, with Isack Hadjar third.
The FIA published its report on 25 October. Formula 1’s qualifying report, published at 22:22 UTC on 24 October (03:52 IST on 25 October), also recorded Antonelli’s pole time and the top three. The race is scheduled for Sunday in Austin.
2026 United States Grand Prix qualifying results
| Position | Driver | Team | Q3 time | Gap to pole |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:34.035 | — |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:34.214 | +0.179s |
| 3 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:34.250 | +0.215s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:34.267 | +0.232s |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:34.311 | +0.276s |
The classification and lap times above follow Formula 1’s official United States Grand Prix qualifying results. The FIA’s report described Antonelli’s pole as his seventh of the season.
Antonelli edges Verstappen by less than two tenths
The gap between Antonelli and Verstappen was 0.179 seconds, while Hadjar finished another 0.036 seconds behind Verstappen. The top five were separated by 0.276 seconds, with Leclerc and Hamilton completing the first two rows’ leading group in the published classification.
Those margins describe one qualifying session; they do not predict the race result. Starting position is only one factor on a circuit where strategy, tyre use, traffic, safety-car periods and on-track execution can change the order. We will update this report if the official classification or grid is amended.
What Antonelli’s pole means for Sunday
Antonelli starts at the front for the United States Grand Prix, with Verstappen alongside him on the front row and Hadjar third. The official starting grid remains subject to any penalties or later FIA decisions. The final qualifying classification is the appropriate record for the session result; the grid document determines the eventual starting order if a penalty changes a driver’s position.
Formula 1 lists the 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas in Austin for 23–25 October. This qualifying session took place on Saturday, 24 October in Austin. The date of the FIA report is 25 October, while Formula 1’s report timestamp is 24 October in UTC and falls on 25 October in India. These are publication timestamps; they do not change the event date.
Official classification and updates
Formula 1’s qualifying report and the FIA’s United States Grand Prix report confirm Antonelli’s pole and the leading positions. Formula 1’s event page carries the weekend schedule and subsequent race updates.
We will keep the qualifying result separate from our earlier United States GP FP2 results report: FP2 is a practice classification, while this article covers Saturday’s qualifying order and pole position. Readers looking for how Q1, Q2 and Q3 determine the grid can also see our F1 qualifying format guide.
0 comments