Antonelli takes US GP pole with title clinch possible on Sunday
Archive photograph: Kimi Antonelli · 2025-10-17Archive photo · 2025-10-17 · Kuyper · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kimi Antonelli beat Max Verstappen by just under two tenths in Austin qualifying. A Sunday win, with George Russell ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton fourth or lower, would make him Formula 1's youngest champion.
Kimi Antonelli will start Sunday's United States Grand Prix from pole after setting a 1:34.035 on the first Q3 run. Max Verstappen was just under two tenths behind, with Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar 0.036 seconds behind Verstappen in third. None of the top three improved later in the session, giving Antonelli his first pole since Belgium.
Practice had suggested Ferrari would be the benchmark: Charles Leclerc was quickest in the Friday sessions and Lewis Hamilton fastest in FP3, but Ferrari's pace fell away in Q3. Leclerc will start fourth, one place ahead of Hamilton, while Mercedes teammate George Russell starts sixth.
Antonelli heads into Sunday's race with a 102-point lead over Russell. The 20-year-old can clinch the title with a victory if Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton fourth or lower—a result that would make Antonelli Formula 1's youngest world champion.
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- SOURCEKimi Antonelli takes giant stride towards F1 title by ending pole droughtRacingNews365 English
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