Antonelli Secures Pole in Austin as Grid Penalties Shake Up 2026 US GP Lineup

Kimi Antonelli is on the cusp of his first World Championship, and he'll start the United States Grand Prix from the best possible position—pole. The Mercedes driver leads the pack at the Circuit of The Americas, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen lining up alongside him on the front row.

The starting grid for the 2026 United States Grand Prix has been finalized, albeit with some adjustments due to grid penalties. Antonelli posted a time of 1:34.035, narrowly edging out Verstappen's 1:34.214. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar secured a career-best third, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are set to start fourth and fifth, respectively.

Here's a look at the provisional starting order for the race:

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1:34.035 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:34.214 3. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 1:34.250 4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:34.267 5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 1:34.311 6. Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:34.379 7. George Russell (Mercedes) 1:34.476 8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 1:34.803 9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) No time in Q3 10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 1:35.080

Grid penalties have caused some shuffling further down. Arvid Lindblad, Franco Colapinto, and Gabriel Bortoleto received power unit penalties. As a result, Lindblad drops from ninth to 14th, with Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completing the top ten.

Qualifying was a mixed bag. Fernando Alonso made it to Q2 despite his Aston Martin briefly resembling a flamethrower. Ultimately, both Alpines and Audis, along with Haas's Ollie Bearman, were ousted in Q2. In Q3, it was the early laps that mattered most, as no one managed to improve in the final moments.

Antonelli's pole is a significant step towards his championship ambitions, and with Verstappen breathing down his neck, Sunday's race promises to be a thrilling affair.