F1 Austin: Antonelli on pole ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) has taken pole position for the United States Grand Prix in Austin with a 1:34.035, ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, the two Red Bull drivers. At 20, the championship leader will start Sunday's race from the front, with a chance, admittedly a remote one, of being crowned world champion in this very race.

Austin qualifying: the top 6

According to the FIA, Antonelli beat Verstappen by 0.179 in Q3. Here is the top of the grid:

• 1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1:34.035;
• 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 0.179 behind;
• 3. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull);
• 4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari);
• 5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari);
• 6. George Russell (Mercedes).

Oscar Piastri is seventh and Lando Norris eighth: Norris's lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. Racing Bulls did not send its drivers out again at the end of Q3: Arvid Lindblad is ninth and Liam Lawson tenth.

Mercedes finally rewarded for its upgrades

It is Antonelli's first pole since the Belgian Grand Prix in July. It also denies Verstappen a third consecutive pole. The Mercedes driver praised the team's work, saying the results are finally showing. Autosport notes that the Malaysia upgrade made the W17 faster but harder to set up, and that a new front wing, seen in Singapore, was tried in Austin.

Antonelli also counted avoiding track-limit violations among his satisfactions: the issue cost several drivers dearly, including Norris, Pierre Gasly in Q1 and Oliver Bearman in Q2.

Can the title be decided on Sunday?

Antonelli leads Russell by 102 points, according to RacingNews365. To be crowned in Austin, he needs several conditions to fall into place:

• win the race;
• see George Russell finish ninth or lower;
• see Lewis Hamilton not finish too high. The threshold varies by source: fifth place or lower for Autosport and Crash.net, fourth for RacingNews365.

Autosport calls the scenario remote. Russell starts sixth and Hamilton fifth, which complicates the maths. If Antonelli does not win, the decision is pushed back to the following rounds. Should he be crowned, RacingNews365 says he would become the sport's youngest world champion.

What to watch on Sunday

The Austin race will show whether Antonelli turns this pole into a win. Verstappen and Hadjar, second and third, start right behind him, and the two Ferraris occupy fourth and fifth on the grid.