AUSTIN: Kimi Antonelli took another step towards securing his maiden Formula One world title by beating Max Verstappen to pole position for the US Grand Prix on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Italian will wrap up the drivers' championship on Sunday if he wins the race, his Mercedes teammate George Russell finishes outside the top eight and Lewis Hamilton finishes outside the top four.
Briton Russell could only qualify sixth-fastest and will join Hamilton on the third row of the grid.
Verstappen missed out on a third consecutive pole but will line up alongside Antonelli on the front row.
The Dutchman's Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar qualified third, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fourth.
Antonelli's lap of one minute and 34.035 seconds gave him his seventh pole position of the season, but his first since the Belgian Grand Prix in July.
It came against the run of the practice sessions in Austin -- the Ferraris had been fastest in all three and Verstappen also seemed to be in confident form.
Antonelli said: "We got pole so we will try to win tomorrow but Max has been very quick and Isack did an incredible job so it's not going to be easy."