ANTONELLI PLEASED AND SURPRISED TO AVOID ANOTHER TRACK LIMITS BREACH IN QUALIFYING

Andrea Kimi Antonelli grabbed his first pole since Belgium — and breathed a sigh of relief that his biggest opponent Saturday wasn't another driver. It was the white line. The Mercedes rookie has racked up track limits penalties all season, but stayed clean through COTA qualifying while seven others got laps deleted, including both Red Bulls and Lando Norris on their final Q3 runs.

"One of the biggest achievements for me today is that I didn't [exceed] track limits," Antonelli said. Circuit of the Americas' sprawling asphalt run-offs make breaches common — the FIA repainted lines after Friday to cut down on violations, but gusty Texas wind kept drivers on edge. Antonelli called the conditions "quite gusty" and "unpredictable."

The pole validates Mercedes' recent upgrade work after a difficult debut two rounds earlier. The package is still being understood, but Saturday's result suggests the silver arrows are finding their footing heading into the championship run-in.