Three F1 drivers handed penalties as US Grand Prix starting grid changes

News Summary

• Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad have received power-unit-related grid penalties that change the starting order for the 2026 United States Grand Prix.
• Bortoleto drops to 22nd after additional Audi component changes, while Colapinto starts 21st following a ten-place penalty and Lindblad falls to 14th after a five-place sanction.
• Kimi Antonelli retains pole position with a 1min34s035 lap ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, giving the Mercedes driver an opportunity to fight for the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship on Sunday.

Three power-unit-related penalties have reshaped the starting grid for the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad all losing positions following Saturday’s (October 24) qualifying session at Circuit of The Americas.

The biggest setback belongs to Bortoleto, who qualified 14th for Audi but will start 22nd and last after the German manufacturer introduced additional power-unit components. Colapinto also drops to the back of the field, moving from 15th in qualifying to 21st, while Lindblad falls from ninth to 14th despite reaching Q3 for Racing Bulls. The penalties leave Kimi Antonelli on pole position ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.

Grille de départ

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Why Bortoleto, Colapinto and Lindblad were penalised in Austin

Bortoleto’s situation changed significantly over the weekend. Audi initially received a 20-place grid penalty after fitting a fourth energy store and a fourth power-unit control electronics unit to the Brazilian’s car, with each replacement exceeding the permitted allocation and resulting in a ten-place sanction.

However, the team subsequently decided to replace more components before Saturday’s running, including the internal-combustion engine, turbocharger, exhaust system, energy store, control electronics, MGU-K and an additional power-unit element.

The second round of replacements resulted in further penalties. The initial 20-place sanction was followed by additional grid drops reported as totalling 60 positions, giving Bortoleto a cumulative 80-place penalty for the weekend. Once a driver falls under the back-of-grid provisions, the number of penalty places no longer corresponds to the number of actual positions lost. Bortoleto therefore drops eight places from his qualifying position to start 22nd.

Grande Prêmio

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The decision also changes the context of Bortoleto’s qualifying performance. The Brazilian had shown promising pace during the weekend and reached Q2, but any opportunity to capitalise on his midfield position was compromised by Audi’s decision to prioritise the replacement of power-unit components.

For Colapinto, the penalty followed Alpine’s decision to fit a fourth control electronics unit, exceeding the permitted allocation. The Argentine received a ten-place sanction and will line up immediately ahead of Bortoleto on the final row.

Lindblad was penalised for using his sixth internal-combustion engine of the season. Because he had already exceeded the permitted allocation of that component, the additional replacement resulted in a five-place penalty rather than ten.

The Racing Bulls rookie’s sanction has a direct impact on the midfield. Lindblad had qualified ninth, but drops behind Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg, Fernando Alonso and Oliver Bearman. Lawson consequently becomes the highest-placed Racing Bulls driver on the starting grid.

GRANDE PRÊMIO

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The three penalties were first detailed in GRANDE PRÊMIO’s report on the FIA sanctions before qualifying. The latest component changes and Saturday’s qualifying results now provide a clearer picture of the order in which the 22 drivers are expected to start Sunday’s race.

F1 2026 United States Grand Prix — Revised starting grid, times and penalties

Provisional starting grid after reported penalties. Times are taken from each driver’s final qualifying segment, meaning Q3, Q2 or Q1. Gaps are calculated against Antonelli’s pole lap and are not a direct same-session comparison for every driver. Starting positions remain subject to FIA confirmation.

Grille de départ

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Antonelli holds pole as Ferrari misses its biggest opportunity of 2026

While penalties have transformed the midfield and back of the grid, Antonelli’s position at the front remains unchanged. The Italian secured pole with a 1min34s035 lap, beating Verstappen by 0.179s and Hadjar by 0.215s as Mercedes overturned Ferrari’s apparent advantage from free practice.

Ferrari had dominated the build-up to qualifying. Charles Leclerc led both Friday sessions, while Lewis Hamilton topped FP3 ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc with a 1min34s893 lap. The results suggested the Italian manufacturer had a genuine opportunity to secure its first Grand Prix pole position of the season, particularly after introducing its latest aerodynamic package at Austin.

However, the picture changed when qualifying reached Q3. Antonelli produced the decisive lap to take pole, while Verstappen placed Red Bull on the front row. Hadjar reinforced the team’s competitiveness by qualifying third, leaving Ferrari to settle for fourth with Leclerc and fifth with Hamilton.

The result was a significant reversal of the form seen during practice. GRANDE PRÊMIO had examined whether Ferrari was finally favourite for a first pole of 2026, but the decisive session showed that Mercedes and Red Bull still had enough performance to overturn the Scuderia’s earlier advantage.

Verstappen’s second place is also particularly relevant given Red Bull’s recovery over recent Grands Prix. The Dutchman arrived in Austin after consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore, having returned to consistent contention for pole positions and race wins during the second half of the championship.

Russell qualified sixth in the second Mercedes, followed by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for McLaren. Norris had his fastest Q3 lap deleted for exceeding track limits, leaving the British driver eighth and facing another difficult task in Sunday’s race.

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Can Antonelli win the 2026 F1 World Championship from pole in Austin?

Antonelli’s pole position gives him a valuable advantage in what could become the decisive weekend of his championship campaign. The Mercedes driver leads Russell by 102 points, with Hamilton a further nine points behind his former teammate.

The Italian can secure his first Formula 1 World Championship on Sunday, although victory alone will not be sufficient. He must win the race, with Russell finishing ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower, to establish an advantage that cannot be overturned over the remaining five Grands Prix when the championship’s countback criteria are considered.

The starting order places Antonelli in a favourable position to satisfy the first requirement. Russell begins sixth and Hamilton fifth, meaning both are currently placed high enough to prevent an early coronation if those positions remain unchanged at the chequered flag.

The complete championship calculations, including the points required and tie-break scenarios, are available in GRANDE PRÊMIO’s guide to every result Antonelli needs to win the F1 title in Austin.

What time does the 2026 United States Grand Prix start?

The United States Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, October 25, covering 56 laps of the 5.513km Circuit of The Americas.

The race is the 18th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season. GRANDE PRÊMIO continues its coverage of the United States Grand Prix throughout the Austin weekend.