Kimi Antonelli Wins U.S. Grand Prix to Close in on F1 World Championship
The Mercedes driver secured his ninth victory of the season at the Circuit of the Americas, putting him on the brink of history.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured a dominant lights-to-flag victory at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, moving him to the absolute brink of the 2026 world championship. Starting from pole position after clocking a 1:34.035 lap, the 20-year-old Italian led the 56-lap race across 308 kilometers at the Circuit of the Americas to claim his ninth win of the season.
Although Antonelli fell just short of mathematically clinching the title during the weekend, he significantly extended his commanding advantage at the top of the drivers' standings. With only five races remaining in the season, Antonelli holds a 124-point lead over his nearest competitor with a maximum of 125 points still available, setting up a prime opportunity to seal the championship at the upcoming Mexico City race.
Reflecting on his performance after the race, Antonelli expressed satisfaction with the outcome while keeping his focus ahead. "It was the result we needed," Antonelli said. "We’re very close, but yeah, we trying to finish on a high and hopefully we can finish it very soon."
Behind the race leader, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc executed a two-stop strategy to finish second after overtaking Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the final stint. Verstappen claimed third place, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished fourth. George Russell, Antonelli's Mercedes teammate, struggled after receiving a five-second time penalty on the ninth lap for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, ultimately dropping back to finish eighth.
The race weekend drew an official attendance of 467,000 spectators to the Texas venue. Prior to the event, Antonelli started Sunday holding a 102-point lead in the standings over Russell, while Hamilton, Verstappen, and Leclerc rounded out the top positions in the tightly contested championship chase. Several drivers faced grid penalties ahead of the start, including Arvid Lindblad with a five-place penalty, Franco Colapinto with a 10-place penalty, and Gabriel Bortoleto facing a penalty of roughly 60 places.
If Antonelli successfully locks down the championship in the coming rounds, he will break a record previously set by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years old when he won his first title in 2010. This milestone would make Antonelli the youngest-ever Formula 1 world champion in just his second season in the sport. Furthermore, it would mark the first time an Italian driver has won the world championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953.