Antonelli claims US GP pole in Austin qualifying
- Formula 1 championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, posting a fastest lap of 1:34,035 minutes in a...
- Antonelli claimed the seventh pole position of his career despite a difficult start during the practice sessions on the Circuit of The Americas.
- Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, missing Antonelli's benchmark by 0.179 seconds after making a mistake in the second sector of his final flying lap, autobild.de reported.
Formula 1 championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, posting a fastest lap of 1:34,035 minutes in a qualifying session that upended Ferrari’s early dominance, n-tv.de and autobild.de reported.
Antonelli sets the pace as rivals stumble in Austin qualifying
Antonelli claimed the seventh pole position of his career despite a difficult start during the practice sessions on the Circuit of The Americas. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had previously noted setup difficulties with front-wing adjustments and tire overheating in the final sector, according to flashscore.de. However, the 20-year-old Italian driver delivered a decisive opening lap in the final qualifying segment, setting a benchmark that his competitors failed to match on their subsequent runs.
Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, missing Antonelli’s benchmark by 0.179 seconds after making a mistake in the second sector of his final flying lap, autobild.de reported. Verstappen’s teammate, Isack Hadjar, secured third place on the grid after overcoming difficulties in finding a rhythm earlier in the weekend. Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five in the second Ferrari entry.
Ferrari loses qualifying speed after dominating practice sessions
The qualifying result brought an abrupt end to Ferrari’s strong form on the Texas circuit. Leclerc had topped the timesheets in both the first and second free practice sessions, and Hamilton led the third practice before the team’s pace faded in the knockout qualifying rounds, autobild.de reported. Leclerc finished 0.232 seconds behind Antonelli, and Hamilton was a further 0.044 seconds slower.
Further down the grid, George Russell managed only the sixth-fastest time in the second Mercedes, finishing 0.441 seconds behind his teammate. McLaren experienced an equally difficult session, with Oscar Piastri qualifying seventh and defending champion Lando Norris dropping to eighth after having a lap time deleted. Nico Hülkenberg missed the top ten in his Audi, qualifying twelfth after receiving a slipstream from teammate Gabriel Bortoleto, who faces an engine penalty, according to flashscore.de and autobild.de.
Championship permutations heading into the Austin race
Antonelli enters the race leading the drivers’ standings with 340 points, holding a 102-point advantage over Russell, while Hamilton sits 111 points behind in third place, according to flashscore.de. With six rounds remaining and a maximum of 150 points available, the 20-year-old driver has his first mathematical opportunity to secure the world championship.
To seal the title at the Austin circuit, Antonelli must win the Grand Prix while relying on specific results from his closest challengers. Flashscore.de reported that Russell cannot finish higher than ninth and Hamilton cannot finish higher than fifth if the Mercedes driver claims victory.
Oh ja, Mann, es fühlt sich gut an, wieder zurück zu sein
Andrea Kimi Antonelli