Kimi Antonelli moved closer to becoming Formula 1’s youngest-ever world champion after winning the United States Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday, October 25.
The Mercedes driver delivered a dominant performance to claim his ninth victory of the 2026 season, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Antonelli started from pole position and made the most of his opportunity, using a one-stop strategy to secure the win by 13 seconds.
However, the 20-year-old missed out on the chance to clinch the title in Austin, with Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth and George Russell taking eighth.
Antonelli closes in on F1 world title
Despite missing out on the championship, Antonelli strengthened his position at the top of the Drivers’ standings.
The Italian now holds a 123-point lead over team-mate Russell and is 124 points ahead of Hamilton, with only 125 points remaining this season.
Antonelli could become the youngest world champion in F1 history at next weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, with a top-nine finish enough to secure the title.
The Mercedes driver said: “We are very close.
“We try to finish on a high and hopefully we can clinch it very soon.”
Antonelli praises Mercedes team effort
Antonelli also praised his team for their work behind the scenes, particularly after introducing an upgraded package to the car.
“It was the result we needed,” said Antonelli. “The whole team deserve it so much.
“All this time putting so much work into bringing this new package and finally seeing the result is very pleasant.
“It was also perfect execution from strategy to call the one-stop. Really happy we made it stick. Today was a great team effort.”
Meanwhile, Russell endured another difficult weekend, finishing eighth after receiving a five-second penalty for an incident involving McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the opening lap.
Hamilton, who started fifth, finished just behind Verstappen in fourth place, leaving both drivers with a slim chance of challenging Antonelli for the championship.
Formula 1 now heads to Mexico City from October 30 to November 1, where Antonelli could make history by becoming the sport’s youngest-ever world champion.
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Michael Davey 
SportJustSport writers