Kimi Antonelli potentially took another step closer to his first world championship after claiming pole for the United States Grand Prix.

With Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fifth and sixth only on the grid respectively, both will have work to do on Sunday, as they look to keep those fading title hopes alive and mathematically sustain the battle into Mexico City.

Kimi Antonelli takes United States GP pole at COTA

Ferrari had topped all three practice sessions in Austin, but now, the Scuderia had to deploy that performance when it truly counted.

Friday had belonged to Charles Leclerc before Lewis Hamilton topped FP3, track limits having stung his teammate among many others.

The Cadillacs were first to clock times on the soft tyres. The Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, plus McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, were on mediums as an intriguing strategy split emerged.

As Leclerc took over out front, a clear deficit for the medium runners had emerged. Antonelli, at the head of that pack, was nine tenths off Leclerc’s 1:35.2.

“What the f**k is this Williams doing? That’s so bad.” Liam Lawson was not happy with the Grove-based car ahead, albeit rather far up the road, up the hill into T1.

As the soft runners pitted ahead of a final Q1 push, the medium runners carried on. Yet, only Antonelli inserted himself into the conversation, 0.19s off Leclerc.

0.53s and 0.64s adrift for Russell and Piastri respectively, both looked safe from elimination.

The same could not be said for Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto who were in that danger zone.

Norris popped up to first at the end. Ocon, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz, Albon, Perez and Bottas were out.

Unsurprisingly, all Q2 runners were now on the red-walled softs. Hamilton wasted no time in taking us into the 1:34s.

But the ultimate pace of run one belonged to Verstappen with his 1:34.471. Norris was within seven hundredths in second, Antonelli and Russell third and fourth respectively.

The top two remained in the garage as the rest of the pack headed back out.

Chasing a lap worthy of Q3 were Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso, Oliver Bearman, Colapinto, Gasly and Arvid Lindblad.

Lawson, Antonelli and Russell was the new top three as Q2 concluded. Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Colapinto, Alonso and Bearman were out.

Bortoleto, carrying an engine penalty worth 80 grid places into the race, had primarily been out there as a towing service for his teammates, but both Audis were among those Q2 casualties.

Bearman, having fallen foul of track limits at Turn 11, had lost a couple of positions on the grid for his transgression.

But now it was on to the day’s main event, as that all-important Q3 battle for pole position commenced.

First blow and provisional pole to Antonelli, on the weekend where he could become world champion.

“So tricky” with the grip and the car for Verstappen, but he had a front row slot as it stood. Could he deny the young Italian pole?

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Antonelli was finding more time, but ultimately did not improve.

One by one the challengers fell, as Antonelli secured pole. P5 for Hamilton and P6 for Russell was exactly what Antonelli needed, but far from ideal for the fading title rivals.