Kimi Antonelli delivers Austin surprise pole in tricky Mercedes: "Finally we're seeing the results"
Kimi Antonelli secured a surprise pole position for the United States Grand Prix, crediting Mercedes' recent technical upgrades. The performance marks a significant step forward for the team following a difficult development period.
Why it matters
The result highlights the competitive evolution of the Formula 1 season and the impact of mid-season engineering updates on team performance.
Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli reckons his United States Grand Prix pole is the reward for Mercedes' efforts to finetune its comprehensive but troubled Malaysia upgrade.
Antonelli held off Red Bull tandem Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar on Austin's Circuit of the Americas as Ferrari flattered to deceive in Saturday's qualifying shootout by taking fourth and fifth.
With the gusty conditions only getting worse throughout Q3, nailing the first of two qualifying runs proved to be pivotal. And following a weekend that had been building up as a battle between Verstappen and Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc plus Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli sprung somewhat of a surprise by taking his first pole since July's Belgian Grand Prix.
Headlinne story · 8 newsrooms
Kimi Antonelli Wins United States Grand Prix to Near Championship
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Also covering this story
18 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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