Antonelli takes U.S. Grand Prix pole as three penalties reshape grid

Antonelli leads a tightly packed front row

Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, setting the fastest qualifying lap at 1 minute, 34.035 seconds. The FIA said Max Verstappen was 0.179 seconds behind in second and Isack Hadjar completed the top three. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth and fifth for Ferrari, with Mercedes teammate George Russell sixth. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The qualifying result gave Antonelli his seventh pole of the season, according to the FIA. The final shootout was close: Verstappen and Hadjar finished 0.179 and 0.215 seconds off Antonelli’s time, respectively. Oscar Piastri qualified seventh, while McLaren teammate Lando Norris was eighth after a faster lap was deleted for a track-limits violation, the FIA reported. ^{[2] [3]}

Penalties reorder the starting positions

The official starting grid differs from the qualifying classification after power-unit penalties. Formula 1’s final grid lists Liam Lawson ninth and Pierre Gasly 10th, while Arvid Lindblad drops to 14th after a five-place penalty. Franco Colapinto moves to 21st following a 10-place penalty, and Gabriel Bortoleto starts 22nd after accumulating an 80-place penalty; regulations require a driver whose penalty exceeds 15 places to start at the back. ^{[1] [4]}

Formula 1 reported that the penalties followed changes to components beyond the season’s permitted power-unit allocations. Lindblad took an additional internal-combustion engine, Colapinto an additional control-electronics unit, and Audi made several changes to Bortoleto’s car across the weekend. The 80-place total is applied as a back-of-grid start rather than a literal place on a 22-car grid. ^[4]

Race set for Sunday afternoon in Austin

The race is scheduled for 3 p.m. local time Sunday, Oct. 25, at the 5.513-kilometer Circuit of The Americas. Formula 1 lists a 56-lap distance. The starting order and pole are settled, but the race has not yet begun in the latest schedule available for this report, so no race result or on-track outcome is included. ^{[1] [5]}