Kimi Antonelli will start from pole position in the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. This marks the seventh time in his career that the Italian driver has secured the top spot on the grid, achieving all seven pole positions in 2026.
This exceptional feat comes as Antonelli competes in a race that could earn him a historic world championship title, making him the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s record of 23 years and 134 days set in 2010. Currently, Antonelli is just 20 years and 61 days old.
Max Verstappen, the winner of the last two races, will start in second position, while Isack Hadjar and Charles Leclerc will occupy the second row on the grid.
The race is scheduled for today at 10:00 PM and will be available for live updates on GSP.ro and broadcast on Antena3 CNN.
Starting Grid for the United States Grand Prix in Austin:
Despite Ferrari’s dominance in all three practice sessions in Austin, led by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the qualifying sessions featured a different standout: Kimi Antonelli.
During Q1, the Mercedes drivers opted for medium tires while most rivals chose the soft compound. Nevertheless, Antonelli closed the gap to Leclerc, finishing just 0.19 seconds behind, and Lando Norris ended the first segment with the fastest time.
In Q2, Max Verstappen initially set the pace, but Liam Lawson surprised everyone by finishing in first place, ahead of Antonelli and George Russell. Among those eliminated were Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, and Oliver Bearman.
The decisive Q3 battle was dominated by Antonelli, who set the benchmark time with his first run. Verstappen struggled with his car’s grip and could not respond.
Consequently, Antonelli secured pole position in Austin during a weekend where he could mathematically become the world champion. Notably, his closest title challengers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, will start from fifth and sixth positions, respectively.
How Kimi Antonelli Can Clinch the Title This Weekend
For Antonelli to mathematically secure the championship, three conditions must be met: he must win the race in Austin, George Russell needs to finish in ninth place or lower, and Lewis Hamilton must finish in fifth place or lower.
Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris still have mathematical opportunities for the title, but an Italian victory would eliminate all of them from contention.
“We will try to win tomorrow, but it won’t be easy; Max did an excellent job in qualifying. I hope to remain in first position after the first turn. I’m very satisfied with the start of this weekend.” – Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes driver
