Antonelli secures his first pole position in three months, Hadjar equals his career-best qualifying and Piastri out-qualifies his team-mate at COTA for the first time. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2026 United States Grand Prix!
ANTONELLI ON POLE AT THE 2026 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX
Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the 2026 United States Grand Prix, securing the seventh pole position of his career. Antonelli is the 43rd driver to have taken as many as seven poles, equalling Jacques Laffite on the all-time list.
This was Antonelli’s first pole position since July’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Antonelli is the ninth different driver to have secured pole position at Circuit of The Americas since the track joined the calendar in 2012.
This was Mercedes’ first pole position at the United States Grand Prix since Valtteri Bottas secured pole at the 2019 race. Antonelli extended Mercedes’ record for the most poles at COTA, this being their seventh at the track.
IN THE TOP TEN
Max Verstappen qualified on the front row at COTA for the third season in a row.
Qualifying in third place, Isack Hadjar equalled the best qualifying result of his career to date. He also qualified third at this year’s Australian and Bahrain (Malaysia) Grands Prix.
This was the first time since 2021 that both Red Bull drivers qualified in the top three positions at the United States Grand Prix.
With Charles Leclerc fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth, this was the fifth season in a row that both Ferrari drivers qualified in the top five at the United States Grand Prix – but it was the first since 2021 in which neither car qualified in the top three.
George Russell qualified sixth for the 2026 United States Grand Prix. This was the fifth year in a row that he has qualified in the top six at COTA – though he is yet to qualify in the top three positions at the track.
Qualifying seventh, Oscar Piastri out-qualified his team-mate at the United States Grand Prix for the first time in his career.
After having his final lap time deleted, Lando Norris was eighth in qualifying for the 2026 United States Grand Prix. This was the first time he was out-qualified by his team-mate at COTA since 2021.
This was the fourth time in his seven appearances at the United States Grand Prix that Norris has qualified eighth. His three other qualifying results here were all on the front row (one pole and two second places).
Liam Lawson recorded Q3 appearances at consecutive races for the first time since before the summer break. This was his first top ten qualification in his three appearances at the United States Grand Prix.
With both Lawson and Arvid Lindblad reaching Q3, this was only the second time that the Red Bull junior team saw both cars qualify in the top ten at COTA. 2021 is the only other time they have done so.
This is the second time this year, after the Austrian and British Grands Prix that Racing Bulls have reached Q3 with both cars at two consecutive races.
Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc all maintained their 100% Q3 appearance rates at COTA.
ELIMINATED IN Q2
For the first time since the Spanish Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly failed to reach Q3 at the 2026 United States Grand Prix. With Franco Colapinto also out in Q2, this was the first time since the Dutch Grand Prix that neither Alpine driver qualified in the top ten.
Gasly remains yet to be out-qualified by a team-mate in his eight appearances at the United States Grand Prix.
This was the second year in a row that both Alpine drivers were out in Q2 at the United States Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso progressed to Q2 for the third time this year, after the Hungarian and Bahrain (Malaysia) Grands Prix.
OUT IN Q1
Williams recorded their fourth double Q1 exit of the season at the 2026 United States Grand Prix. The team also saw both cars exit in Q1 at the Chinese, Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix.
This is the ninth year in a row that Williams have recorded at least one Q1 exit at the United States Grand Prix, as well as the fifth time in the last eight races at COTA that the team has recorded a double Q1 elimination.
While Alex Albon recorded a third consecutive Q1 knockout, Carlos Sainz was eliminated in Q1 for the first time since the Spanish Grand Prix.
This was the fourth year in a row that Albon was eliminated in Q1 at Circuit of The Americas.
Sainz recorded his first Q1 exit at COTA since his first appearance at the track at the 2015 United States Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon recorded his seventh Q1 exit of the 2026 season – his second in the last eight race weekends.
2024 is the only time in F1’s last six visits to COTA that neither Haas driver has been eliminated in the first stage of qualifying.
Lance Stroll recorded his sixth Q1 exit in his nine appearances at the United States Grand Prix.
Cadillac recorded an 18th consecutive double Q1 elimination at the 2026 United States Grand Prix. Their two drivers set the two slowest lap times in the session for the fourth time this year, after the Hungarian, Dutch and Bahrain (Malaysia) Grands Prix.