Kimi Antonelli will start the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas from pole position after clocking a blistering 1 minute 34.035 seconds in qualifying. The championship leader edged out Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, who secured second and third on the grid respectively. Verstappen's time was 1.34.214 while his Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Hadjar came home in 1.34.250, meaning the two Red Bulls will line up behind the Mercedes driver looking to make a statement at COTA.

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The Soft compound absolutely dominated the qualifying session, with drivers across all teams opting for the C4 tyre for their best efforts. Antonelli went through four fresh sets of Softs during the session, while both Verstappen and Hadjar managed their resources with three sets each. Interestingly, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Antonelli all experimented with the Medium compound during the opening segment before ultimately switching to the Soft like everyone else.

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Free practice three told a slightly different story, with Lewis Hamilton setting the fastest time of 1.34.893 using only the Soft compound. Verstappen finished second on 1.35.061 while Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three on 1.35.127, notable because the Ferrari driver set his best lap on the Medium rather than the Soft. Austin continued to produce scorching temperatures, with track surfaces reaching 40 degrees Celsius throughout FP3, though race day should see slightly cooler conditions.

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Pirelli's Dario Marrafuschi outlined several strategic possibilities for Sunday's race. The one-stop strategy remains the most efficient overall, with teams potentially opting for a Soft-Medium combination to maximize grip advantages. The Hard tyre remains a viable second-stint option regardless of opening strategy, and could become even more attractive if the safety car materializes. If degradation exceeds expectations, a Soft-Medium-Soft two-stopper could emerge as a competitive alternative, though the time difference remains relatively marginal. Track evolution and Sunday's temperature will ultimately decide how teams approach their pit calls.

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