Kimi Antonelli claims COTA pole as McLaren suffer late qualifying blow
Kimi Antonelli has stormed to pole position for the United States Grand Prix, producing a blistering final lap to beat Max Verstappen in a closely fought qualifying session at the Circuit of The Americas.
The Mercedes driver delivered a 1:34.035 in Q3 to secure the top spot, with Verstappen settling for second after an impressive performance from Red Bull. Isack Hadjar continued his strong form to claim third, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top four.
George Russell secured fifth ahead of Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton, while McLaren’s qualifying session ended in disappointment after Lando Norris had his lap time deleted, promoting Oscar Piastri to seventh and dropping the Briton to eighth.
The session was shaped by the challenging COTA surface, with drivers pushing the limits around the demanding circuit and track-limit infringements proving costly. Across the three qualifying segments, the battle for pole remained wide open, with several drivers trading purple sectors before Antonelli delivered when it mattered most.
With the C2, C3 and C4 compounds available throughout the weekend, tyre management also played a significant role in the teams’ qualifying strategies, particularly for McLaren, who opted to split their approach between Piastri and Norris.
Q1: Leclerc sets the early benchmark as Albon and Perez fall
Qualifying got underway with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas among the first drivers to head out onto the circuit, followed by Haas’ Oliver Bearman as the field began building temperature in their tyres.
Conditions proved challenging from the outset, with a slippery-surface warning displayed at Turn 1. The opening corner at COTA can be particularly difficult to navigate when grip is limited, placing immediate pressure on drivers to find the right balance between committing to a fast lap and avoiding an early mistake.
Perez initially showed encouraging pace, producing a purple first sector before improving further through the second sector. However, his early benchmark did not last long, with Leclerc immediately demonstrating Ferrari’s one-lap speed.
The Monegasque driver went purple in both the first and second sectors, eventually setting a 1:35.200 to move to the top of the timesheets. Hamilton subsequently threatened his teammate’s benchmark, recording a purple first sector of his own before continuing to build his lap.
McLaren, meanwhile, took a different approach to the opening session. Piastri began his run on the medium compound, with the team seemingly prioritising tyre management and preserving its soft tyres for later in qualifying and the race. Norris ran the soft compound, giving the team an opportunity to assess the contrasting approaches.
Piastri initially moved into the top three, although he remained more than a second behind Leclerc. Norris subsequently edged ahead of his teammate, while Mercedes’ Russell also showed competitive pace through the opening sector.
Verstappen quickly entered the fight at the front, producing a purple first sector before moving into second, just 0.050 seconds behind the leading benchmark. Hadjar also looked competitive, moving into the top three as Red Bull demonstrated its potential over a single lap.
Further down the order, Nico Hülkenberg recorded green sectors in the opening two parts of the circuit to move into sixth, while Liam Lawson also made progress to occupy a provisional sixth position.
Pierre Gasly briefly looked set to improve his position after recording green sectors, but his lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. The infringement prevented the Alpine driver from capitalising on his progress, although he later returned to the track and secured a place in Q2.
The battle at the front continued to intensify as the first runs unfolded. Bearman improved through the opening two sectors, moving ahead of Piastri, while Fernando Alonso also climbed into the midfield positions.
Piastri responded with a cleaner lap, recording green sectors across the circuit to improve his position. Russell then produced a purple first sector, while Mercedes teammate Antonelli went one better, taking the fastest first sector before recording a purple second sector to move ahead of Norris.
Norris eventually climbed to the top of the timesheets with a 1:35.029, setting a provisional benchmark that put pressure on Ferrari and Mercedes. Leclerc responded with a 1:35.000, narrowly reclaiming the top position, while Hamilton also produced a strong lap but finished 0.362 seconds behind his teammate.
Verstappen subsequently delivered the fastest lap of the session, recording a 1:34.471 to move to the top of the timesheets. His performance underlined Red Bull’s pace around the technical Austin circuit, with Mercedes and Ferrari now facing a serious challenge.
As the final runs unfolded, several midfield drivers found themselves under pressure. Hülkenberg struggled to improve after recording a yellow first sector, while Bearman remained outside the top ten despite his earlier progress.
Albon was unable to find sufficient time to escape the elimination zone, eventually finishing 20th. Perez and Bottas also failed to progress, leaving the experienced pair at the bottom of the classification.
Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz were also eliminated, bringing their qualifying sessions to an early end.
Q1 eliminations:
Esteban Ocon
Lance Stroll
Carlos Sainz
Alex Albon
Sergio Perez
Valtteri Bottas
Q2: Verstappen and Mercedes trade blows as McLaren fight for position
With the first six drivers eliminated, the remaining 16 competitors returned to the circuit for Q2, where the fight to secure a place in the top ten intensified.
Leclerc began the session strongly, producing purple sectors in the first two portions of the circuit before recording a 1:35.000. Hamilton responded with purple sectors of his own, although he finished 0.362 seconds behind his teammate on his initial attempt.
Verstappen again proved to be a major threat, setting the fastest first sector and moving into provisional pole with a 1:34.471. The Red Bull driver continued to demonstrate his ability to extract performance from the car, placing immediate pressure on the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers.
Norris and Piastri both worked to improve their positions, with the Australian initially recording green sectors through the opening two sections. However, neither McLaren driver immediately threatened the fastest times, leaving the team needing further improvements to guarantee a comfortable passage into Q3.
Russell also looked competitive, recording green sectors on his opening attempt before finding more time on a subsequent lap. Antonelli followed with a strong first sector and a purple second sector, bringing himself firmly into contention at the front.
As the session progressed, the battle for the final places in Q3 became increasingly tense. Drivers were required to find improvements without exceeding the track limits, which had already proved problematic earlier in qualifying.
Gasly, Hülkenberg and Bearman were among those fighting to stay inside the top ten, while Bortoleto, Colapinto and Alonso faced the prospect of elimination.
Hülkenberg struggled to improve on his final attempt after recording a yellow second sector, while Gasly was unable to find the additional pace needed to progress. Bearman also missed out on a place in the final segment despite showing encouraging speed in Q1.
Bortoleto’s qualifying session ended in 14th, although his starting position for Sunday's race will be affected by a substantial grid penalty. The Audi driver had already been facing a difficult weekend after taking additional power-unit components, with further changes increasing his cumulative penalty.
Colapinto finished 15th, with the Alpine driver also facing a ten-place grid penalty after moving onto his fourth control electronics component of the season. Alonso completed the Q2 elimination zone in 16th.
For McLaren, both drivers managed to progress, but their contrasting tyre choices remained a key talking point. Piastri had continued to run the medium compound, while Norris used the softs, leaving the team with different information about the available grip and tyre performance heading into the decisive final session.
Q2 eliminations:
Pierre Gasly
Nico Hülkenberg
Oliver Bearman
Gabriel Bortoleto
Franco Colapinto
Fernando Alonso
Q3: Antonelli delivers when it matters to secure pole
The final ten drivers returned to the circuit for Q3, with pole position still very much up for grabs. Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren were all represented, setting up a compelling final battle around the 5.5-kilometre circuit.
Russell was among the first to establish a serious benchmark, producing purple sectors in all three parts of the circuit to set a 1:34.476. The Mercedes driver appeared to have delivered a strong lap, but his teammate was preparing to mount a significant challenge.
Antonelli immediately raised the standard, recording a purple first sector before taking another purple sector from Russell. The Italian continued to build his advantage and crossed the line in 1:34.035, putting himself at the top of the timesheets and establishing a benchmark that proved difficult to beat.
Verstappen responded with another impressive effort. The Red Bull driver produced a purple first sector, but he could not maintain the same advantage through the remainder of the lap. He crossed the line in 1:34.214, securing provisional second place but falling 0.179 seconds short of Antonelli's time.
Hadjar continued to impress, placing his Red Bull firmly in the fight for the front rows. The Frenchman secured third, finishing just 0.215 seconds behind Antonelli and giving the team two cars inside the top three.
Leclerc was unable to replicate the dominance Ferrari had shown in practice, eventually settling for fourth. The Monegasque driver remained competitive through the opening sectors but could not find enough time to challenge Antonelli for pole.
Hamilton also delivered a strong performance, securing a place inside the top six. However, Mercedes ultimately had the advantage in the fight for pole, with Antonelli producing the decisive lap at the right moment.
Russell's earlier benchmark was enough to secure fifth, putting both Mercedes drivers in strong positions for Sunday's race.
McLaren's final session proved more complicated. Piastri recorded green sectors through the first two parts of the circuit, but he was unable to match the pace of the leading drivers. Norris also struggled to challenge for the front row, and the pair initially appeared set to finish further down the order than they would have hoped.
Norris's position was subsequently affected by the deletion of his lap time for a track-limits infringement. The decision dropped the Briton to eighth and promoted Piastri to seventh, leaving the Australian ahead of his teammate for the Grand Prix.
The outcome will be particularly frustrating for Norris, who had shown promising speed earlier in qualifying and briefly topped Q1 with a 1:35.029. His deleted lap proved costly in the final classification, demonstrating how little room for error there is around COTA.
Piastri, meanwhile, will take some encouragement from finishing ahead of his teammate, although seventh still leaves the Australian with work to do if he hopes to challenge for the podium.
Racing Bulls' Lindblad secured ninth, while Lawson failed to set a representative time in Q3 and finished outside the leading group. Lawson's grid position will also need to be considered alongside the penalties affecting other drivers.
Ultimately, Antonelli's 1:34.035 proved unbeatable, giving the Mercedes driver pole position ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar. With the top three separated by less than a quarter of a second, the fight at the front promises to be one of the major storylines heading into race day.
Final top ten
Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes
Max Verstappen — Red Bull
Isack Hadjar — Red Bull
Charles Leclerc — Ferrari
George Russell — Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari
Oscar Piastri — McLaren
Lando Norris — McLaren
Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson — Racing Bulls
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