Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, with a qualifying time of 1:34.035. It was Antonelli's seventh pole position of the year, and he leads the world championship with 340 points.
Qualifying order
Max Verstappen qualified second and Isack Hadjar qualified third. Charles Leclerc was fourth in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton was fifth, George Russell was sixth and Nico Hülkenberg qualified 11th.
Antonelli and Mercedes reaction
Antonelli said: "That feels good!"
Toto Wolff, Mercedes motorsport chief, said: "We have one or two corners that ruin the whole lap for us."
Championship picture
Russell is 102 points behind Antonelli in the championship, while Hamilton is 111 points back. Six races remain, with a maximum of 150 points still available.
To become world champion before the end of the season, Antonelli must win Sunday's race, while Russell must finish no higher than ninth and Hamilton no higher than fifth.
Grid penalty
Gabriel Bortoleto must start from the back of the field on Sunday due to an engine penalty.