Antonelli takes pole at US Grand Prix on weekend he can clinch the title
Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap in Formula 1 qualifying for the US Grand Prix, on a weekend when he has the chance to win the championship. Ferrari again lost pace when it mattered most.
Antonelli claimed pole position for the US Grand Prix, a round of the Formula 1 world championship, the top level of single-seater racing. It is a weekend on which he can win the title, so starting from the front of the grid is a significant advantage.
Hadjar was only 0.036 seconds off the pace, while a four-time world champion also finished close behind the pole-sitter. Ferrari faded in the decisive stage of qualifying, as they have on many occasions this season. Charles Leclerc, fastest in the second and third practice sessions, ended up 0.232 seconds off pole and beat Lewis Hamilton by just 0.044 seconds. Leclerc said the tyres were very hard to get into the right working window, and that the team suffered badly as soon as the track cooled slightly. He said Ferrari were competitive in the first two segments but lost pace in the third.
George Russell was 0.441 seconds slower than his team-mate. He admitted to a couple of mistakes in the final segment and said he went slower than in Q2, though he felt a top-three spot was achievable. The fastest McLaren was 0.768 seconds from pole despite an upgrade brought for this weekend, as Lando Norris's best lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. A downbeat Norris said the car felt the best it had, but that he did a poor job himself.
Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson took ninth and tenth. Lindblad, who is British, will drop five places on the grid because of a penalty for using too many engine parts. Aston Martin had a stronger weekend than at the previous race in Singapore: Fernando Alonso qualified 14th and called the pace a pleasant surprise. He will start 12th after grid penalties for Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto, Alpine's Franco Colapinto and Lindblad.
