Antonelli on pole for US Grand Prix as title fight narrows
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position at the Circuit of the Americas, while Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton aim for podiums amid a tightening championship battle.
British driver Alisha Palmowski clinched the F1 Academy championship in Austin, finishing second in the reverse-grid race and securing the title before the season finale in Las Vegas.
In the senior class, 20-year-old Kimi Antonelli claimed pole for the United States Grand Prix, edging Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds. Antonelli said his focus remains "one race at a time" and aims to lead out of Turn One.
"Massive thanks to all the fans coming. This weekend is probably one of the most special of the year and the support has been incredible," Antonelli said.
Red Bull's Verstappen described his qualifying lap as lacking grip but accepted the result, noting, "If it's still a P2, I take it."
Mercedes' George Russell, starting sixth alongside former teammate Lewis Hamilton, expressed optimism about the race despite a modest qualifying position. He highlighted the potential for incidents at the circuit and said the team will look for opportunities to move forward.
"It's amazing always here in Cota with the fans, there's so much excitement already. Obviously we're not in the best starting position but hoping to move forward and try and fight for the podium," Russell said.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified on the second row with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, while Lewis Hamilton, who set the pace in third practice, noted a power deficit on the straights compared with rivals.
"Obviously, the power deficit to the Red Bull and to the Mercedes is still significant, and I think that our car clearly is as good as theirs maybe through all the corners, but we lose that down the straight," Hamilton said.
Grid penalties affected three drivers: Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) received a 60-place drop to start 22nd, Franco Colapinto (Alpine) moved to 21st, and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) fell five places to start 20th after an engine change. Liam Lawson, also of Racing Bulls, will start ninth after sacrificing his qualifying run to aid his teammate.
Weather for the race is expected to be sunny with a gentle breeze and temperatures around 28 °C. The event will be covered on BBC Radio 5 Live and the F1: Chequered Flag podcast.