Antonelli Takes Pole, Closes in on F1 Title

Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the United States Grand Prix, putting himself in a position to make a first attempt at clinching the Formula One world championship. The 20-year-old Italian, who leads the standings by 102 points, beat Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds. Isack Hadjar qualified third for Red Bull. Antonelli would need to win Monday’s race and have George Russell finish below ninth and Lewis Hamilton below fifth to secure the title in Texas; with a maximum of 150 points still available to his rivals, the championship appears likely to be decided soon even if he does not clinch it this weekend. Ferrari had led all three practice sessions but could not maintain its pace in qualifying. Charles Leclerc and Hamilton ended up fourth and fifth, while Russell qualified sixth. Ferrari’s struggles are notable amid pressure on the team after a difficult run of races and speculation about team principal Fred Vasseur’s future. Hamilton, a five-time winner at the Circuit of the Americas, has not taken pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, while Ferrari’s last pole came with Leclerc in Hungary in 2025. McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified seventh and eighth. Williams endured another difficult session, with both cars eliminated in Q1; Alex Albon called the team’s showing a “s***show.” Earlier in qualifying, Norris topped Q1 and Leclerc led Q2, setting up expectations of a close contest before Antonelli surged to the top in the decisive Q3 session. ABC Sport planned to provide live coverage of the race, scheduled to start at 7am AEDT on Monday.

The Straits Times’ Oct 25, 2026, “While You Were Sleeping” roundup covers five developments in France, the United States, Malaysia and Formula One. In France, protests over living costs and inequality drew hundreds of thousands of people on Oct 24. The Interior Ministry put nationwide attendance at 410,000, while unions estimated twice that number. Although most demonstrations were peaceful, clashes broke out in Paris and Marseille after dark. In Paris, police used tear gas and water cannon against about 500 hooded youths who threw stones at officers. In US election news, President Donald Trump voted early in Florida ahead of the Nov 3 midterm elections, in which Republicans are trying to retain control of Congress. He said he voted for Republican candidates and later planned to attend a campaign rally in Georgia. At a rally in Ohio, former president Barack Obama urged voters to support Democrats, accusing the Trump administration of “chaos and cruelty” and blaming it for the rising cost of living. In Malaysia, a 48-year-old man died after soil buried him while he was digging near a water tank in Pasir Gudang, Johor. Fire and rescue personnel recovered him using specialised equipment and hand tools; health officials pronounced him dead at the scene. In motorsport, 20-year-old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the United States Grand Prix, ahead of Max Verstappen. Antonelli could secure his first Formula One drivers’ title if he wins the race, provided teammate George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finish outside specified positions. Isack Hadjar qualified third and Charles Leclerc fourth.

Kimi Antonelli moved closer to becoming Formula One’s youngest world champion after taking pole position for the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver beat Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds in qualifying and leads the championship with 340 points and eight wins, 102 points ahead of teammate George Russell. Six traditional Grand Prix weekends remain, offering a maximum of 150 points; a tie in the final standings is decided by race wins. Antonelli can secure the title in Austin if he wins and Russell finishes ninth or lower while Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth or lower. If Antonelli does not clinch it there, his next opportunity is the following weekend in Mexico City. Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and defending champion Lando Norris remain mathematically in contention, but each needs a near-perfect run and a major drop in Antonelli’s scoring. Russell would need to win all six remaining races and Antonelli to score no more than 48 points. Hamilton would need six wins and Antonelli to score 38 or fewer; Antonelli’s Austin victory combined with Hamilton finishing fifth or lower would eliminate the Ferrari driver. Verstappen needs six wins and Antonelli to score 30 or fewer, while an Antonelli win in Austin would end Verstappen’s title hopes. Leclerc’s route requires six wins and Antonelli scoring 24 or fewer. Norris must win every remaining race and hope Antonelli scores no more than 10 points; in Austin, he needs to outscore Antonelli by at least 15 points to stay in contention. The article notes that Antonelli’s rise follows a crash in his first Formula One practice session at Monza, shortly after turning 18. It also describes Russell’s early-season success followed by reliability issues, Hamilton’s improved but limited Ferrari campaign, and Verstappen’s late resurgence after struggling for much of the year. Despite that revival, the standings make Antonelli the clear favourite to take the championship.