By: Qualifying for the United States Grand Prix has just concluded. Here is a detailed summary of the session.
Q1: Leclerc starts strongly, Mercedes struggle
Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez were the first to take to the track as they waited for the rest of the field. After the opening runs, Charles Leclerc led the way with a 1'35''200, just thousandths ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar. Hamilton was fourth and Antonelli seventh, with the latter, like Russell and Piastri, opting for the medium tyre. The Audi pair and Lawson were also inside the top 10. With four minutes remaining, Antonelli improved to move into fifth, while Lando Norris went fastest in the closing seconds. Eliminated in Q1 were Ocon, Stroll, Sainz, Albon, Perez and Bottas.
Q2: Max looks ominous, Racing Bulls shine
The drivers quickly headed out to set their first laps. This time, Max Verstappen led the field with a 1'34''471, ahead of Norris and Antonelli. Hamilton was fifth, with Leclerc seventh and half a second off the Dutchman's time. After a brief pause, the drivers returned to the track for the final runs, except Verstappen and Norris, who remained in the pits, to decide who would progress to Q3.
At the chequered flag, Charles Leclerc set the fastest time, followed by Antonelli and Russell, while Hamilton was seventh. Racing Bulls performed well, with both Lawson and Lindblad progressing to Q3. Eliminated in Q2 were Gasly, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Colapinto, Alonso and Bearman.
Q3: Kimi catches everyone by surprise
With the final 12 minutes under way, Russell and Antonelli were the first to head out, followed by the rest of the field. At the end of the first runs, Antonelli held provisional pole with a 1'34''035, ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar. Leclerc was fourth and Hamilton sixth.
The drivers returned to the pits for a brief pause before heading back out for the final runs that would determine the starting grid. At the chequered flag, nobody improved: Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position, ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar; Leclerc was fourth and Hamilton fifth. Russell was sixth, while Lando Norris had his time deleted for track limits. Below is the full classification, with Lindblad, Bortoleto and Colapinto set to serve penalties.
Cover photo by Luca Martini / WHYOUT images
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the United States GP 2026
