Antonelli Wins US Grand Prix to Move to Brink of F1 World Title

Kimi Antonelli delivered a dominant one-stop performance at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on Sunday, claiming his ninth victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Mercedes driver pitted on lap 24, switching from medium to hard-compound tyres, and maintained a commanding pace to the chequered flag, finishing 13 seconds clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in second place. Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the podium in third; both Leclerc and Verstappen ran two-stop strategies but were unable to genuinely threaten Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton crossed the line fourth for Ferrari, just one second behind Verstappen, while Lando Norris was fifth and Isack Hadjar sixth. Antonelli now leads the drivers' championship by 123 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell and 124 points over Hamilton, with a maximum of 125 points still available this season. The 20-year-old Italian, who only turned 20 in August and is in just his second F1 season, will clinch the world title at the Mexico City Grand Prix if he finishes ninth or higher, or if neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the race. "We are very close," Antonelli said after the victory, adding: "It was also perfect execution from strategy to call the one-stop. Today was a great team effort."