Kimi Antonelli Takes Texas Pole Position, Beats Max Verstappen; Fernando Alonso Nears His Best Qualifying of the Year

Kimi Antonelli wants to be world champion already in Austin. The Italian driver claimed an unexpected pole in Texas, stopping the clock at 1:34.035 after a weekend in which Mercedes had not shone. But the leader of the world championship appeared at the last moment to leave Max Verstappen with a taste for more.

Fernando Alonso has achieved his second-best grid result of the season. The Asturian advanced from Q1, something that has happened only three times this year, and then managed a fifteenth place that will become thirteenth thanks to grid penalties for Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Antonelli starts from pole as he goes for his first championship clinch in Austin

It seemed that Max Verstappen was going to claim in Austin his third consecutive pole position, but at the last moment Antonelli reminded him who the world leader is. The Italian Mercedes driver burst into Q3, taking pole that puts him within reach of his first Formula 1 world title.

Antonelli will start first in a race where he can already be champion. He needs to win, that Lewis Hamilton finishes outside the top four and that George Russell is not inside the top nine. And the fact is that Hamilton qualified fifth while Russell will start sixth on the grid. It could happen.

Alongside Antonelli will be Max Verstappen, an uncomfortable teammate on the front row who will be even more so starting second in Austin. With the inside line secured, as soon as Verstappen gets away as well as the Mercedes, Antonelli may begin to fear he will be forced off at the first corner.

Verstappen has edged his teammate by the narrowest margin, with a surprising Isack Hadjar securing third, and it continues to confirm that Red Bull has improved. So Ferrari is back to being the Friday champions. After some brilliant practice sessions, their best is Charles Leclerc in fourth, and without improving his Q3 time over his Q2 time.

Lando Norris had a final lap canceled for track limits which would have put him sixth, so he will start eighth, alongside but behind his teammate, Oscar Piastri, seventh. The other participants in Q3 were the Racing Bulls, only Arvid Lindblad setting a time because he carries a five-place penalty.

Fernando Alonso almost matched his best qualifying of the year. It was Sepang, where he started twelfth. In Austin he will start thirteenth after getting through Q1 and taking advantage of two external penalties. With the lower tire degradation that Aston Martin has, dreaming of points is permissible. More difficult will be Carlos Sainz, nineteenth.

Formula 1 United States Grand Prix 2026 qualifying results

Images | McLaren, Mercedes