Formula 1 News

F1 United States GP: Antonelli beats Verstappen to pole with Russell only sixth

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has claimed his seventh pole of 2026 at Formula 1's United States Grand Prix, defeating Max Verstappen in a thrillingly close qualifying session in Austin.

F1 United States GP: Antonelli beats Verstappen to pole with Russell only sixth
Photo: Autosport

Max Verstappen: What Happened

Autosport reported on Saturday, October 24, 2026 in a story involving Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli, United States Grand Prix. Here is how the report opens:

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has claimed his seventh pole of 2026 at Formula 1's United States Grand Prix, defeating Max Verstappen in a thrillingly close qualifying session in Austin. Antonelli surged to pole with his first of two Q3 runs, which yielded a 1m34.035s as he headed Red Bull tandem Verstappen and Isack Hadjar by around two tenths, as few frontrunners improved on their final…

— Autosport

It is one of many Formula 1 stories we are following today, and 2 outlets are covering it. Below are the key takeaways, how the story is being reported across the sport, background on Max Verstappen and what to watch next.

Key Takeaways

  • The story: F1 United States GP: Antonelli beats Verstappen to pole with Russell only sixth
  • Who’s involved: Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli, United States Grand Prix and United States GP
  • League: Formula 1
  • First reported: Saturday, October 24, 2026 by Autosport
  • Coverage: 2 outlets are covering it: Autosport and Formula1.com
  • Trending: No. 4 on the ForTheFans trending list right now

How Other Outlets Are Covering It

The same F1 story, as reported by another outlet:

Background: Max Verstappen

Max Emilian Verstappen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑks fɛrˈstɑpə(n)]; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won consecutively from 2021 to 2024 with Red Bull, and has won 73 Grands Prix across 12 seasons.

Text from Wikipedia’s Max Verstappen article, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What’s Next for Max Verstappen

For fans following Max Verstappen, the next things to watch are the race results, qualifying, driver standings and constructors’ championship. Stories like this one tend to move quickly, so check back for follow-up reports and reaction as more outlets pick it up.

ForTheFans3 min read

Wolff hails Antonelli’s ‘best race’ in Austin

Toto Wolff has explained why he rates Kimi Antonelli’s dominant United States Grand Prix victory as his “best race” yet, while offering an insight into the championship leader’s relaxed mindset.

ForTheFans2 min read

Russell: P2 in title race 'doesn't mean anything'

George Russell says finishing second in the championship would not mean anything as boss Toto Wolff hit back at suggestions that the British driver may never get another shot at the title.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened with Max Verstappen?

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has claimed his seventh pole of 2026 at Formula 1's United States Grand Prix, defeating Max Verstappen in a thrillingly close qualifying session in Austin. Antonelli surged to pole with his first of two Q3 runs, which yielded a 1m34.035s as he headed Red Bull tandem Verstappen and Isack Hadjar by around two tenths, as few frontrunners improved on their final… Autosport reported the story on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

Who reported this F1 story?

Autosport first reported it on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Formula1.com and Autosport also covered it. ForTheFans summarizes it here with background and related Formula 1 news.

Where can I get the latest Formula 1 news today?

The ForTheFans Formula 1 page collects every F1 headline as it breaks, including race results, qualifying and driver standings, with live scores on our scores page.

Summarized by ForTheFans from reporting by Autosport. Headlines, quoted text and photos belong to their publishers. How we report

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