By: On the eve of the United States GP, Mercedes were not certain they would put championship leader Antonelli in a position to win the world title in Texas. To achieve the feat, Kimi would need to win the race, thereby collecting the 25 points awarded for first place, and hope that his team-mate Russell finishes ninth or lower, while Hamilton (Ferrari) must finish no higher than fifth.
Until today, it was difficult to imagine this scenario unfolding in Austin, but after qualifying, with Antonelli starting from pole, Hamilton from P5 and Russell from P6, we can say that Kimi will have his chance. Naturally, the Italian only needs to focus on winning. The rest is entirely out of his hands.
Fate will decide whether the title is won in Texas, Mexico or, at the latest, Brazil. Starting from P2, Verstappen will certainly be looking to spoil the party. With the Dutchman in that position, entertainment is virtually guaranteed.
United States GP starting grid - formation lap at 21:00 Italian time
There were no significant investigations by the Federation following qualifying, so the grid is almost an exact reflection of the qualifying result. The penalties relate exclusively to power unit component changes. Lindblad (VCARB) received a five-place penalty and will start from P14, Colapinto (Alpine) will line up in P21 after receiving a 10-place penalty, while Bortoleto (Audi) will take part in the race from P22 after being handed a record 80-place grid penalty. Formation lap at 21:00 Italian time.
Why are we referring to a provisional grid? Because the teams' technicians could still encounter problems with the cars before tomorrow's race and, should it become necessary to replace a component subject to regulatory restrictions, the Federation would be forced to drop the driver concerned by several places on the grid.
Cover photo by Luca Martini / WHYOUT Images
Internal photo: FIA
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the United States GP 2026
