Verstappen left baffled as Antonelli beats him to Austin pole

Verstappen cannot explain Q3 deficit

Max Verstappen was left searching for answers after Kimi Antonelli beat him to pole position for the United States Grand Prix in Austin. Verstappen improved through Saturday’s sessions and set a 1:34.214 in Q3, but the championship leader went just under two tenths quicker.

“A few corners didn’t come together in Q3,” Verstappen said, adding that he had not made mistakes. He felt the car was “not as planted as what I’d hoped for”, leaving him with small slides and unable to put the power down as he wanted.

Verstappen said the issue cost him on his first run, while a rise in the wind made it difficult for drivers to improve on their later attempts. The result ended his run of pole positions in Malaysia and Singapore, where he went on to win both races.

Red Bull targets another victory

Despite starting behind Antonelli, Verstappen remained optimistic about Sunday. He said the race would come down to details, including tyre management and finding a solid balance in the car.

Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar qualified third after recovering from a difficult start to the weekend. Hadjar said the car had been hard to drive earlier in the day and credited the team’s work on its setup for the improvement.

Asked whether Red Bull could claim a third consecutive Grand Prix victory, Hadjar answered: “Yes — that’s the target.” He said the team believed the car was competitive and that Verstappen’s position near the front would help its chances.